A Life Shared By Two
by Kaeera
Summary: When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? Part Twelve.
1. The Fight

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.

**Genre:** General/Drama

**Rating: **PG

**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Notes: ** This idea popped into my head while writing 'When the Snow Falls'. In the fourth chapter, Elladan refers to a childhood experience where he and 'Ro were separated for several months. *g* Somehow this idea didn't leave me, and then other people asked to write this and well...the first chapter was written very quickly, because I love to write about the twins as children. Since the next chapter of 'When the Snow Falls' will take its time, I decided to post this, that way you have something to read. 

Elladan and Elrohir are about ten years old in this story. I know that their ages in human years would probably much older, since elves don't age that quickly, but nonetheless I will refer to them as ten-year-olds – it will make the story more understandable, I think^^

Many thanks to Dragon for beta-ing!

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A Life Shared By Two

_ by Kaeera_

** Part One: The Fight **

"Don't your friends want to see you anymore?" Elladan smirked, seeing his brother sitting under a tree and reading a book. He had just gotten back from the training grounds of the guards, where he and his friends had watched the sword practise of the elven warriors. Feeling quite unsatisfied by the fact that he hadn't been allowed to pick up a real sword, Elladan wanted to vent some anger, and Elrohir seemed like the first likely person.

"Or why else would you be reading?" He circled around his twin, not understanding why his brother read voluntarily when it was such beautiful weather.

Elrohir glared at him. "We played, and then they had to return home to help their father, so I picked up my book."

"Ahh, really?" Elladan seemed uninterested, despite the fact that he had asked. "How boooooring…"

"Well, it wouldn't be that boring if you learnt to read properly." Elrohir replied annoyed. 

The twins had been quarrelling constantly during the last few days, and it was going on his nerves. Either Elladan would take his books or Elrohir would take his toys, and it always ended in vicious fights. Even worse, they would insult each other's friends, and since both twins were very loyal to their friends, they didn't accept this.

Elladan watched as his brother returned back to reading, narrowing his eyes. "I can read!" he insisted. "I just don't want to waste my time with it – after all I want to become a great warrior when I am big, and if I waste my time reading, I won't have enough time to train!"

"But a warrior without brain is never a good warrior."

"Maybe, but a warrior without muscles is even worse!" Elladan slapped his hands down on the sides of the book, forcing Elrohir to look up. "You know what they said? The soldiers on the training grounds? They said that I would once become a good warrior! Probably one of the best….but they didn't say anything about you!"

The truth was that the guards had mentioned that the twins, if they took after after their father, would be some of the best warriors Imladris had ever seen, but Elladan refused to mention that tiny little detail.

Pain was visible on the younger twin's face, although he quickly masked it. "They didn't say anything because it was clear that I'll be a good warrior!" he claimed. 

Elladan snorted. "Stop dreaming, 'Ro! You will always be a bookworm, never a fighter!"

"What's wrong with you?" his twin shouted, slapping the book shut and nearly squishing Elladan's fingers. "Can't you find another person to annoy? Your stupid friends will certainly enjoy the dull jokes you make!"

The older twin narrowed his eyes again, anger passing over his face. "Don't insult my friends! At least the know how to play in the gardens and don't sit in the house all day, reading books and staring at dumb maps like the boring children *you* call friends!"

Elrohir rose out of his sitting position, eyes flashing with fury. "You're just talking like that because you are angry that Glorfindel scolded you once again, yesterday in the lessons, because you weren't able to read that part!"

Elladan gasped, feeling slightly hurt at this response. It was true, he had felt miserable yesterday because his twin had been able to do the exercise very quickly, while he had had difficulty in understanding the text, but that only increased his anger. "At least I am not the one who can't even lift a sword!" He shouted back.

"But you are the one who's stupid!"

"Am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"That's not true!"

"So, and why is Ada sighing disappointed every time Glorfindel complains after one of his lessons?" Elrohir said triumphantly. "He wants a smart son, not a dumb one!" He hugged the book in front of his chest, feeling victory wash over him as he saw the stricken look on the face of his twin.

Elladan screamed in rage and lunged at his brother, trying to grab the book. But he stumbled over a rock and fell forward, accidentally shoving Elrohir so that he fell rather painfully on his back.

"Let me in peace!" the younger twin shouted angrily, for he believed that Elladan had done this on purpose. 

"There's no need to shove me!" And he shoved his brother as well.

Fury raced through Elladan, who was already short-tempered, and he quickly swung his fists at his twin. It didn't take long and the two were involved in a real battle, trying to punch, kick and bite each other whenever it was possible.

And of course, they shouted insults, aggravated by the heat of the moment, not really knowing what they said, like all children when they are furious.

"You are just jealous because I'm smarter!"

"I'm not jealous! Why should I be jealous on a bookworm who doesn't know how to have fun?"

"I have fun!"

"Oh yes, sure…"

"I do!"

The rolled on the green grass, their grey robes soon stained with mud and grass. Elrohir grabbed Elladan's hair and pulled hard, causing his twin to wince in pain. But the young elfling quickly turned around and kicked Elrohir's legs so that he loosened his grip.

"I bet father likes me better, because I will be a warrior like him!" Elladan shouted angrily.

Elrohir hesitated for a moment as he considered those words, pain in his eyes. Then the pain was replaced by wild fury which one saw rarely in the eyes of the normally so sensible child. "Don't say things like that!" he cried and attacked his brother once more. "Ada likes me more than you! You only make problems!"

"But you are dull and boring!" Elladan replied, dodging a blow. "Nobody likes such a boring child!"

Tears burned in Elrohir's eyes as he refused to believe these words, and his anger increased. "I'm NOT!" and he smacked his brother right in the face.

Elladan fell to the ground by the force of the hit and gasped in surprise. Elrohir usually never got that angry; he must have said something really bad! Pain radiated from his nose, and when he touched it, his hand came back blood-covered. 

Elrohir himself stared in horror at the blood on his brother's face and froze. He hadn't meant to do that, but he couldn't find the words to say that he was sorry, or even to ask how his twin was, not after what Elladan had said.

"I'm bleeding!" Elladan wailed, staring horrified at the red spots on his hand. "You hurt me!" 

He touched his bleeding and aching noise, still in disbelief that his normally so peaceful twin had done this. It was true, he had been quite nasty to Elrohir in the last few days, but usually his twin had accepted it, not resorting to violence. To get a reaction like that there must be something badly wrong.

But Elladan wasn't sensible enough to think about this; all he cared for was the fact that his brother had injured him deliberately and he felt hurt. Tears, both of anger and disappointment, slid down his cheek, as he stood up again. 

"You will regret that!" he shouted and jumped at Elrohir, throwing both to the ground. They rolled down the hill in a heap, throwing nasty words at each other's faces, blinded by rage.

********

Lord Elrond was strolling through the gardens, humming contently, when the peaceful silence was disturbed by rather loud shouting. The elf frowned and decided to investigate, locating the source of the noise with his elven ears.

The closer he came, the more he recognised his sons' voices, and they were obviously quarrelling with each other. Elrond sighed; sometimes he wondered where they had inherited their stubbornness from. They could fight about the smallest of things and make a big scene out of it. He turned around a corner… and froze. Not far away were his two sons, fighting viciously against each other and using physical violence. Elrond's eyebrows shot up at this and he couldn't suppress an irritated frown as he rushed forward. He and Celebrian he had taught the twins to talk things over instead of fighting.

"Elrohir! Elladan!" he yelled, startling the two elflings. Their heads shot up and they stared at their father with identical looks of horror on their faces. Quickly they untangled their limbs and stood up, trying to avoid their father's gaze.

"What do you think you are doing?" Elrond inquired sternly.

"Elrohir took my-"

"Elladan didn't let me-"

"I just wanted to…"

"He beat me…"

"But he started it…" The twins interrupted each other, accusing the other one, a stubborn pout visible in each of their expressions.

Elrond closed his eyes in frustration and held up his hand to stop them. "Alright," he said, as they had quietened down, and eyed them closely. Elladan's nose was bleeding and Elrohir's shirt was dirty and torn. 

"Elladan come here and let me look at your nose." The Lord indicated that his son should come forward and knelt down on the ground.

Unwillingly, the older twin stepped closer and the elf quickly examined the small nose. Luckily nothing was broken, it just would hurt for the next few days. 

He gave them both a scolding glance. "I would like to hear what happened, but obviously you are not in the mood to talk now, so I will wait until later. However, I want you to know that I don't approve of this. Fighting doesn't bring a solution – you could have come to me or your mother and we would have talked with you; then Elladan wouldn't be bleeding right now." 

He sighed. "You will both not get dinner today."

The twins opened their mouths to protest, but were stopped by their father's warning glance. "I don't want to hear anymore of this. You both disappointed me today!"

Elladan and Elrohir both dropped their heads, but still glared at each other. The battle was over, but the war had just begun.

********

If Elrond had thought that the incident was over with this little punishment, than he had been more than wrong. Both twins were rather stubborn, and neither one wanted to speak with the other one again until they got an apology. Of course they didn't get one, and so the next days were filled with uncomfortable silence, the twins sat pouting beside each other, edging their chairs as far apart as possible.

The only words which were exchanged were swear words, and Elrond once again wondered where they had learned them from. He deeply suspected Glorfindel, for the twins usually liked to hang out with the guards, and decided to talk with his friend and advisor.

However, it made life uncomfortable when both twins were angry. They didn't speak at the table and both Celebrian and Elrond missed their friendly chatter. Even worse, they did everything they could to make each other's lives miserable. It seemed as if they indeed hated each other, a fact neither Elrond nor Celebrian could approve of. 

After three days of sulking twins, Elrond finally decided that it was enough.

"We have to do something," he said to his wife on the morning of the third day, after the twins had left off, not without Elladan shoving Elrohir rather nastily against the wall.

"I agree," Celebrian nodded sadly. "They are too stubborn for their own good."

Elrond shook his head. "They seem to have forgotten how much they mean to each other."

"Unfortunately there doesn't seem a way to tell them that – we tried hard enough the last days." Celebrian swirled a strain of her blonde hair, thinking hard.

"It seems as if they must learn the hard way," Elrond scratched his chin as an idea formed in his head. "Maybe….maybe if we separate them?"

Celebrian raised an eyebrow, a habit she had adopted from her husband. "Maybe, but it wouldn't help much because there's still the chance that they will meet, unless we…" 

A small smile appeared on her lips, as suddenly an idea popped into her head. "Unless we send one of them away to my parents."

"That was exactly what I thought. That way they will probably realise that they love each other and that such a stupid fight is not enough to lose one's brother." 

"But…" A sad expression flew over Celebrian's face. "The idea of sending one of them away for a longer time – totally alone – seems unfair for me. One twin would still have both parents, while the other one has to stay away in Lothlorien."

Elrond sighed. "It's hard. Maybe if we split up, too? If you go to your parents with Elrohir, while I stay here with Elladan?"

"That's a good idea," Celebrian agreed. "Although I will miss you and Elladan."

Her husband laid a hand on her shoulder and kissed her lightly. "It will be only for a few months, and I firmly believe that the twins need to learn this lesson."

Celebrian snuggled into his embrace and smiled slightly. "So it's settled then. I will take Elrohir and Elladan will stay here. Let's prepare for the journey as soon as possible, for I don't like seeing our sons behaving like that!"

"As you wish, my Lady!"

*******

This evening Elladan and Elrohir sat on their beds in their rooms, deliberately not looking at the other one, as their father entered. Elrond sighed as he noticed the awkward silence in the room. Normally the twins were never silent; they either ran around, chasing each other or playing pranks on innocent servants. 

"Brooding again?" He raised an eyebrow, but his sons chose not to reply. 

Elrond leant against the wall. "You'd better start packing soon, Elrohir."

That got some response, as the twin's eyes widened visibly. "Packing? Why?"

"Because you will start your journey tomorrow." His father replied, somewhat amused by the shocked expression. Elladan tried to stay impassive, facing the wall, but Elrond could tell that he was listening closely.

"Journey? Where? And why not Elladan?" Elrohir looked in confusion at the taller elf and then at the back of his brother.

"Your mother and I decided that we didn't want to suffer through your childish fight anymore and decided to separate you for a while. Maybe it will teach you something important. Elladan will stay with me at Imladris, and you, Elrohir, will travel to Lothlorien with your mother and stay there for the rest of the summer."

Mutual expressions of shock and bewilderment appeared on the twins' faces. They had never been separated in their life before, and the idea seemed, although somewhat frightening, appealing. Elrohir stood up, trying to imagine to spend the next weeks at Lothlorien with only his mother and his grand-parents. He realised with a shudder that he couldn't. As far as he remembered, his brother had always been there.

He glanced at Elladan, but his twin didn't face him, and Elrohir's eyes hardened. If Elladan didn't want to apologize, that was his problem. He would go to Lothlorien and he would have fun there, without his brother! And Elladan would be terrible bored here in Imladris.

Without another word, the younger twin started packing, not once looking at his brother. After a while, Elladan left the room and the unbearable silence. Elrond watched him leave and sighed. Sometimes he really wished that they were a little bit less stubborn.

Hopefully this would teach them a lesson.

**To be continued....**

Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!


	2. Separation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.

**Genre:** General/Drama

**Rating: **PG

**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Note: **I know that I should post the next chapter of 'When The Snow Falls'....it's already finished and waiting on my harddisk, but the problem is that my beta is currently very busy and can't correct it. Since I don't want to post a chapter with mistakes, you have to wait until next week. I'm really sorry, but I hope you can understand my reason. That's why I am posting the second chapter of _this_ story, that way you have something to read over the weekend^^ 

Thanks a lot for the wonderful reviews I received! You guys are great!

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**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Two: Separation**

As morning dawned the next day, the twins were already up, Elrohir stuffing the rest of his belongings into his bag, while Elladan lingered around somewhere. They hadn't talked about the upcoming separation, although both elflings felt insecure about it. But the stubborn part was stronger and they still refused to meet each other's eyes.

Celebrian observed this sadly and wondered once again what had happened. They had refused to tell their parents why they were fighting, only saying things like: "Elrohir is mean," or similar, not very informative sentences. It was all left to their parents' imagination to figure out what had happened. 

To see her sons like that made her feel depressed; in addition to that came the fact that she would have to leave her home for two months. Although she was looking forward to seeing her parents and the place of her childhood, she knew that she would miss her husband and oldest son dearly.

Secretly she had hoped that mentioning Elrohir's departure alone would be enough, but obviously she had misjudged the stubborn minds of elven children. She had no other choice but to leave, taking one twin with her. Wearily the blonde elf sighed and stepped out of the building, already wearing her travelling clothes. They would travel with some guards, to protect them against the dangers of wilderness.

"Amme?" The tiny little voice startled her, and she looked down on the anxious face of her son.

"What is it, Elrohir?" she said warmly, kneeling down so that she was on eye-level with her youngest.

"I don't want to go." Whispered the elfling, grey eyes looking desperate. "Why can't Elladan go? I want to stay in Imladris!"

Celebrian sighed and brushed her hand through his hair. 

"Well, one of you has to go, and the choice fell on you. Don't worry, I'm sure that you will like it there – and after all we will stay for only two months. You will see, it will be over in no time!" She smiled reassuringly.

Elrohir didn't seem to be cheered up by this. He looked at the horses in the courtyard and the guards which would accompany them. One part of him wanted to go, but another part wanted to stay in Imladris, with both his parents and even his brother.

He quickly shoved the thought of Elladan aside. No, he didn't want to stay with his brother. Elladan didn't like him, and he was mean. He'd be better off in Lothlorien. There were certainly other elven children which whom he could play. His face lit up a little at the idea of meeting new friends, and he smiled shyly at his mother.

Celebrian ruffled his hair affectionally and stood up, searching for her other son. However, she couldn't see Elladan anywhere near, only Elrond, who was approaching the pair of them. She walked over to him, watching over Elrohir out of the corner of her eye as he went to look at the horses.

"Where's Elladan?" She asked confused.

Elrond pointed behind him, where a rather sour looking Elladan was trotting slowly down the stairs. 

"It took quite some time to convince him to say goodbye." 

He sighed. "This whole thing is getting out of hand. He didn't have anything against saying goodbye to you, but he didn't want to see his brother."

Celebrian shook her head. 

"Oh Elbereth! I really hope this helps, otherwise we are lost." 

She smiled brightly at Elladan who had now reached them and was standing beside Elrond, one hand tangled into the robe of his father. 

She hugged him tightly and whispered into his ear. "I will miss you, my son. I hope you will think of me while I am away, and don't make too much trouble." She kissed him on the forehead and small arms clung around her neck, holding her tightly. 

"Come back soon, Amme," Elladan's voice was nearly inaudible.

"Don't you want to say goodbye to your brother?" Celebrian gently prodded, but her oldest only shook his head. 

"Not if he doesn't want to!" Elladan declared.

Both parents sighed simultaneously. Celebrian stood up and wrapped her arms around her husband, enjoying the last minutes together. Then she broke free, so that Elrohir could say goodbye to his father as well. Elrond scooped the little elfling up and kissed him gently, whispering exactly the same things into his ear Celebrian had said to Elladan. 

Then they mounted the horses and left, the two parties waving at each other.

*****

Elrohir sat on the horse in front of his mother, playing with the mane of the animal, as they rode through the forest. Normally he would have enjoyed this unexpected journey, for it was rare that they ventured out in the forests, but right now he couldn't seem to raise his spirits. His thoughts always trailed back to the few times when he and Elladan had been out in the wilderness, discovering new plants and animals with every step the horses made. 

They had invented a game called 'Finding new things' – every time one discovered a plant, a stone or an animal one hadn't seen before, one had to shout loudly so that the other one could see it as well.

But there was nobody to play with here. And even if Elladan would be here, he wouldn't play, for he was still angry.

_'And I'm angry, too_!,' Elrohir thought grimly, pouting. ___'I just played with his sword, he didn't need to say so nasty things! It's not true that _ _Ada and Amme like him more, after all Amme is going with me. He was too mean!'_

However, that didn't change the fact that he felt bad about his rash action. He had been surprised himself that he had punched his brother, unused to such reckless action. Normally he wasn't the thoughtless one, and it made him feel ashamed.

He glanced at the elven warriors which rode with them. Eight guards were accompanying them, all looking strong with their bows and swords. Elrohir found himself entranced by the air of strength which lingered around him, and momentarily forgot about his misery (or chose to forget).

"Amme," he whispered, "Can I become a warrior like them?"

Celebrian chuckled softly. "You can do anything you like, Elrohir. But if you want to become a good warrior, you need much training. They practise every day, and they fight evil things. It will take some time until you are able to be as good as them."

An expression of determination crossed the elfling's face. "I will become a warrior, the strongest warrior of Imladris, and then I will protect you and Ada!"

"That's good to hear! And will you protect your brother as well?" Celebrian asked carefully.

A moment of silence followed. Then, in a rather hesitant voice, Elrohir replied. "I suppose I would."

Celebrian drew him closer. At least he didn't hate his brother that much. Had she ever had such a fight in her childhood? She couldn't remember. She had always been scolded by her father because she had climbed the roofs instead of attending her lessons.

A small blush appeared on her cheeks as she realised from whom the twins had probably inherited their mischievous streak. At least it wasn't only her; she remembered quite a few stunts Elrond had pulled as a young elf – Glorfindel was a rather good storyteller when it came to embarrassing his best friend. It was no wonder that her sons were such trouble-makers, and the fact that they each had a brother probably made it even worse.

"You know," her voice sounded distant as she guided the horse. 

"Sometimes we fight about things which are far too small to fight over, and when we realise that, it's usually too late. Don't let that destroy the friendship with your brother, Elrohir."

She could feel how his shoulders stiffened. "I didn't do anything. It's Elladan's fault – he must apologize."

Celebrian frowned and shook her head. "Alright…if that is how you feel…"

*****

Elrond stood outside, watching as his wife and youngest son rode away, leaving him for the next two months. His heart felt heavy, but his mind knew that this was the best way. The twins had to learn to deal with the fact that life wasn't always rosy, and did not revolve around them. 

"Well, let's go inside," he said to Elladan who was standing beside him, once the horses had disappeared from view.

The elfling just nodded, still the same stubborn look on his face. He felt neglected because his mother and his brother had left him behind like that and he had to stay at home. But at least he could watch the guards without being disturbed, he reassured himself. And maybe he could even start training to fight, so that he could impress Elrohir as soon as he returned…

Of course Elrohir had to apologize first. Elladan still hadn't forgotten how his nose had hurt after his brother had punched him, and was deeply hurt. 

It hadn't been his first fight – no, Elladan constantly fought with his friends and considered himself as quite a good boxer – but the fact that Elrohir, who had never fought before and spent his leisure time in reading and talking, had managed to surprise and hit him.

It had been beginner's luck, surely, and still it annoyed the older twin.

He walked inside the building with his father and suppressed the sudden urge to reach for his father's hand. He had done that when he was younger, but felt now that a strong elf shouldn't do things like that.

Elladan waved to his father, his spirits still dampened, and walked to his room, not in the mood to play outside. Rather frustrated, the elfling flopped down on his bed. He should be glad that his annoying brother was away, because now he could play with all his great friends and talk with the guards.

However, instead of being happy, he more felt as if something was missing. 

"That's stupid," the older twin said out aloud. "I don't miss Elrohir. He's annoying and boring!" Repeating those words in his head, he stared at the wooden ceiling, wondering what to do. It was late morning, and there was the whole day ahead of him.

Elladan rubbed his sore nose, sniffling quietly. It hurt when he touched it, but somehow he couldn't let his hand down. It was fascinating how numb it felt, and it was interesting to pry out the dried blood. At least it was better than thinking about the stupid brother of his!

"It's booooring…." he sighed, looking around the room for something to do. His toys were lying in a corner, in a small pile. He stared at it, but it didn't look interesting. Well, he could try to read a book….but reading was boring, Elladan preferred to be outside.

Sighing again, he rose and decided to visit his friends; maybe they would know an interesting game.

As he wandered along the corridors, watching the pattern of the sunlight on the ground, he realised that he somehow couldn't stop thinking about his brother and the words he had said. He wasn't dumb! He just didn't like to read, but that didn't mean that he was stupid – did it? His father certainly wouldn't prefer Elrohir because of that…after all, he had sent Elrohir away, not him!

_But Amme went as well…._

A frustrated grumble escaped his lips as the ten-year-old recognised that those annoying thoughts wouldn't leave him alone, and he quickened his pace.

As he turned around a corner, he already saw two of his friends. Tirmael and Benya were already playing outside in the gardens, and he waved to them, a grin crossing his face. It seemed as if they were playing tag, a game Elladan especially enjoyed. Right now it would be the perfect game, because you were too busy running to think about annoying brothers and parents, who separated you without asking.

**To be continued...**

**Ellewyn Greenleaf** and **Wilwarin** - Well, where do you think I get my ideas from? I myself have an older sister, and we used to fight VERY much....although we never got laong, we fought all the time and still do. My mother is frustrated by this, but we can't change it...somehow, we allways end up annoying each other!!

**xsilicax** - I don't know if Elladan is in the better place....after all, Elrohir is allowed to travel with warriors through the forest, and it's always more interesting in strange places, isn't it? Much more to discover...*broad smile*

**Thoronnar** - I can't wait to see how they cope with being separated either...oh wait, I'm writing this story....darn! *laughs* I'm glad that you like it that much...I always that that it's a bit illogical when the twins get along too well. I know no siblings who DON'T fight...

**Avara** - No, I don't have a twin. *lol* But my father is a twin, and I have an older sister. *smiles*

**hoellenwauwau** - Jaja, das du verplant bist, wenn es darum geht, Updates mitzubekommen, hab ich ja schon lange gemerkt. Freut mich aber, dass dir das gefällt...tja, bei 'When The Snow Falls' wirst du dich zwar noch gedulden müssen, aber ich hab auch wirklich Pech mit meinen Betas...Jaja, ich bin schon krank, lass mich von meinen eigenene Geschichten inspirieren! Seltsam! Hehe. Gerade schwirrt mir frei eine neue Idee für eine (deutsche) Originalgeschichte im Kopf rum. Wer weiß, vielleicht ist das erste Kapitel bald auf fictionpress.net zu sehen...und bei Silver schreib ich auch weiter, sobald ich meine beiden letzten Klausuren nächste Woche hinter mich gebracht hab! Versprochen!

Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed and sorry that I didn't mention you all...I'm quite busy right now. And I really, really hope to update 'When The Snow Falls'. Man, I feel so bad about this...


	3. Entering Lothlorien

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.

**Genre:** General/Drama

**Rating: **PG

**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Notes: ***sneaks out of the shadows* Ehm. Sorry for the delay. I know that there's no excuse when you're waiting for a new chapter - I have often experienced that myself - but the last weeks have been so busy...first I was in Paros, then Berlin. When I finally returned home after some weeks, we had the last exams in this term and I had to study for those. I was that busy that I couldn't even *read* my favourite stories *looks guiltily at Nili* and that really means something!

**Warning: chapter is not beta-read! **I'm sorry for the mistakes...my beta seems to be away...

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**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

** Part Three: Entering Lothlorien**

"Are we there yet?" Elrohir's ears perked up, as they neared some flets up in the trees. They had been riding for the last days, and the elfling had found the experience quite boring. 

The warriors normally spent little time with Elrohir, and hardly spoke to him (mainly because they didn't know how to care for children and were afraid of doing something wrong, but of course nobody had told Elrohir that), leaving his mother as the only person to talk to. As dearly as Elrohir loved Celebrian, she was his mother after all, and there were things she just didn't understand. 

Like bugs, for example. Elrohir, as well as Elladan, adored bugs and found them fascinating. He loved it when they crawled up his arms, their little legs moving so fast that it was nearly a blur. 

Celebrian, however, disliked bugs. She didn't scream when she saw them, she just didn't share the fascination her younger son held for the tiny insects, and therefore Elrohir had been on his own.

Travelling wasn't as exciting as he had always thought. No wargs had attacked them and the guards hadn't been forced to draw their swords. Not even the smallest adventure had occurred, a rather unusual experience for the trouble-used twin.

Therefore it was no surprise that the small elfling bounced excitedly up and down on the horse, squirming under his mother's grip, eager to explore what would be his home for the next weeks. He had been here earlier in his life, but he had been smaller then and couldn't recall all the details.

He could hear his mother chuckle behind him. "Yes, we are there, love." She whispered into his ear. "That's my home."

"Oh." Elrohir's eyes widened as he watched the tall trees and the houses which were made out of wood and carved with beautiful pictures. It was totally different than Imladris, and yet it was the same, for it was made by elven hands.

His eyes widened at the prospect of being able to play in those gigantic trees. He could explore and find many new bugs, and they surely had a library in which he could look at books and find out the names of the bugs and the plants. Elrohir loved learning new things.

"Are there many children, Amme? Can I play with them?" The ten-year old hopped around excitedly, searching for any trace of children his age, but finding none.

"I'm sure that you find some friends." Celebrian reassured him smiling and stopped the horse, first setting the excited elfling on the ground and then dismounting herself. 

Her mother and father were already walking towards the small group, ready to greet their daughter and youngest grandchild. Soon every worry was forgotten as Elrohir was swept into the halls, new impressions flooding his mind with every step he made.

He didn't even think about his brother once that day.

* * *

Golden sunrays tickled his nose, as the elfling slowly awoke out of the depth of sleep. 

The room he stayed in had a high ceiling, with large windows that reached to the floor. Just outside his window he could see the tall trees which could be found everywhere in Lothlorien. The bed was soft and decorated with nice, carved wood.

Elrohir blinked and sat up, automatically reaching out to shake his brother awake – only to realize that Elladan wasn't there. For the first moment, panic overcame him, but then he remembered where he was and why he was here. 

A scowl appeared on his features. No, he didn't miss Elladan. That stupid…elf! It was his own fault, after all!

He turned his head so that he could look at the leaves of the tree. The early sun was shining through the trees, drawing a nice pattern on the floor. 

Too awake to stay in bed any longer, the elfling jumped out and hurried to the window, carefully sticking his head out. 

Celebrian had warned him not to go near the window, for there wasn't a balcony and careless children could easily fall down to the ground. But Elrohir was ten years old now, and didn't think of himself as a child anymore, so he eagerly leaned out and observed his surroundings.

It had to be very early, for not many elves were awake yet, but the few which walked through the trees seemed to be enjoying the warm sun. Elrohir smiled, and went back into his room, dressing quickly. He wanted to go out and play in the trees, hopefully Amme would allow that! She could be so over-protective at times, it was unbearable! 

Humming softly, the elfling skipped down a staircase which circled around a tree, trying to remember the way to Galadriel's and Celeborn's Halls. He had quite a bit of respect for both his grandmother and grandfather. They seemed so wise and old, although both looked beautiful. They certainly weren't elves one could play pranks on, and once more he was glad that Elladan wasn't here – his twin surely couldn't have resisted and would have done something incredibly stupid like sneaking into Galadriel's chambers to explore.

While walking down, he couldn't pry his eyes away from the greenery around him. Wait until he told Elladan about this…but no, Elladan wasn't here. He looked rather sour for a moment, imagining the things he and his twin could do if they were here together, but he quickly chased the thoughts away.

Elrohir trotted down the last stairs, spotting his mother at the bottom, who stood there waiting for him. He quickly waved at her and jumped faster, but managed to stumble over his own feet and tumbled down the last four steps. 

Too surprised to realize what had happened, the elfling sat up, shock slowly setting in. Celebrian was by his side instantly, as Elrohir started sniffling.

"Are you alright?" She asked worried, examining her son for injuries. 

Elrohir tried to suppress the sobs which wanted to break free, feeling embarrassed that he couldn't stay strong like a real warrior would do. 

"Nothing happened." He finally declared, wiping some tears away, hoping that his mother hadn't seen them.

Celebrian only discovered a small bruise on her son's arm, and sighed relieved, lifting the child up. "You have to be careful in those woods," she scolded gently, noticing how heavy her youngest had become. Alas, they were growing up so fast! 

"We don't have buildings here like in Imladris, here everything is in the trees and an elfling who doesn't pay attention can easily hurt himself."

"I know, Amme." He struggled in her grip, wanting to get down on the ground again. "I was just thinking and didn't look where I was going. It won't happen again."

"I hope so," Celebrian pulled a stern face and then smiled. "Come on, breakfast is ready, and even warriors need food to keep up their strength."

Elrohir followed her eagerly, hoping that the meal would soon be over, for he couldn't wait to investigate the trees and all the other plants.

* * *

"Have fun playing, but don't forget to be here for dinner!" Celebrian called after the young elf, but Elrohir had already disappeared out of sight. 

She sighed and sat down again, sipping her water. So far it didn't seem as if Elrohir was missing his brother, but he had only been here for one day and everything was still new and exciting. Celebrian was pretty sure that she would hear some whining by the end of the week.

Elrohir ran impatiently out of the building, not understanding how adults could eat for such a long time. He was always finished after five minutes, if he could eat at the speed he wanted to (which he, unfortunately, mostly wasn't allowed to). 

Now, what should he do first? Amme had said that he could run around freely as long as he stayed in the inner part of the forest, and Elrohir was willing to explore even the tiniest bit of Lothlorien, using this unfamiliar freedom shamelessly.

He went to the first tree in view, walking up one of the wooden stairways which could be found everywhere in Lothlorien. Halfway in the middle, he stopped, fascinated by a small, green butterfly that was sitting on a branch not far away from Elrohir's current standing point. 

The elfling dearly loved butterflies. He could spend hours watching the little creatures, flapping their wings, so small and fragile, and yet he never managed to catch one.

He sat down and tried to reach out for it, but his arm was too short. Slightly disappointed, he leaned back, remembering the promise he had made to his mother before breakfast. Elladan would have climbed on the branch, but he, Elrohir, wouldn't be that reckless.

"Look, there! I told you!" whispered some voices behind him, and Elrohir frowned as the butterfly flapped its wings in surprise and decided to fly further along the branch, even more out of his reach. 

"Who is he?" The high-pitched voices weren't that far away, and he turned his head to find their owners. But he didn't see anyone on the stairway.

"Now he heard us! That's your fault!" hissed another voice, which Elrohir couldn't quite identify. 

"Who are you?" he finally asked, becoming annoyed at the fact that he still couldn't find anyone. There was a rustling sound above him, and on a branch not that far away from the branch his butterfly had sat on, three heads appeared. They seemed to belong to elven children like him, a girl and two boys.

"Hello," one of the boys said rather hesitantly, eyeing him closely. 

"I'm Tonar, and that is my sister Miriel." He pointed to the brown-haired girl beside him who seemed to be younger than the rest.

Elrohir stood up and brushed the dirt from his knees. 

"I'm Elrohir," he offered hesitantly, eyeing the children closely. 

The third boy, who hadn't mentioned his name yet, climbed down on the stairway, a look of curiosity on his face. He was a little bit smaller than Elrohir, but seemed to be around the same age.

"I have never seen you before." He stated and crossed his arms somewhat defiantly.

Tonar and his sister climbed down as well and the younger twin noticed that Tonar had raven black hair. "Don't be that rude, Donael," the told the other elfling, stretching out a hand to Elrohir. "You forget your manners."

Elrohir took the hand and slowly shook it, smiling shyly. "I'm here over the summer with my mother. Normally I live at Imladris." He explained.

Miriel stared wide-eyed at him. "In Imladris? With Lord Elrond? How is it there? I've heard that you have great waterfalls!" She seemed eager to hear what the youngest Peredhil had to tell, but her brother only scowled at her. 

"It's annoying when you have to take care of younger siblings." He announced, rolling his eyes. "Do you have brothers or sisters, Elrohir?"

Elrohir's face darkened at this. "Yes, I have a brother. We are twins."

"Oh." Donaels eyes widened at the prospect of twins, for they were rare among elves. "Does he look like you?"

"Yes."

"That must be strange." Tonar mused. "Having someone else who looks like you…say, is he also here?"

"No." Elrohir muttered softly, somewhat annoyed by the fact that his mind was once again brought on his brother, right then when he had nearly forgotten his misery. Those children seemed to be nice and he really would like to befriend them. "He had to stay in Imladris. We were separated because we were fighting."

"Oh." Tonar's eyes became as wide as saucers. "That's wonderful! I mean, you are able to do things without your brother! I would really like that!" 

He sent a pointed glance to Miriel, who seemed to be unfazed by this. "My parents always tell me that I have to play with Miriel, but she can be sooooo boring at times!"

Donael grinned slightly. "Well, if you don't have a brother to play, you can come with us. We can show you our hiding places. What do you think?"

Elrohir's face lit up at that suggestion. "I would love to!" he exclaimed, and the four elflings went down the stairs.

* * *

"See, and there the maidens go swimming on hot summer days." Donael pointed to a small spring beneath them. They had been climbing trees for the last few hours, Miriel always following the boys everywhere. Although Tonar complained all the time, Elrohir couldn't understand it. He didn't think of Miriel as a nuisance, she was quiet, kept herself to herself most of the time, and could climb nearly as well as her brother. The exact opposite of Elladan.

Donael was ten years old, like Elrohir, and Tonar was eleven, his sister five years younger than him. 

The three had showed him most of the interesting places they knew in Lothlorien, and were now discussing what they should do next. 

"We can play tag." Tonar suggested, glancing at the other boys.

"I don't know, we play that all the time." Donael didn't seem to like this idea. "I would like to climb up the trees a bit."

Elrohir had realised very quickly that nearly all leisure activities in Lothlorien involved climbing. Not that he had anything against it – the elfling simply loved trees and could spend hours sitting in one. They had quite many trees in Imladris as well, but here there were trees of many kinds, and Elrohir could never stop looking at them.

Tonar's face lit up. "We can climb up the big tree, take some food with us and eat it when we are on the top. What do you think?" He turned to Elrohir.

"I would like that!" The twin smiled. Although Elladan liked climbing as well, he didn't like sitting in the trees. There always had something to be done – collecting things, throwing stones at innocent bystanders or thinking of a new prank he could pull off. 

However, his new friends seemed to be calmer than Elladan ever was, and Elrohir enjoyed this.

'See, I don't need Elladan.', he thought rather triumphantly. 'I can have fun without him. And I certainly won't miss him like Amme thinks. Not me! Never!' 

**To be continued...**

_Yeah, I know...lame chapter.._**.**


	4. Staying in Imladris

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de  
  
**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Notes**: And another chapter! The progress of this story is very slow, probably because the chapters are so short...*sighs* I'm sorry, but longer chapters would take even LONGER to write, and I'm sure you don't want that. Ahh...the twins are far too stubborn for their own good. I have the suspicion that it will take a while until they realise that they belong together. *sighs and glares at the twins*

* * *

  
  


**

A Life Shared By Two

**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Four: Staying in Imladris**

  
  
Elladan was lying in the grass, his arms crossed under his head as the sunrays tickled his face. Since Elrohir's departure three days ago, and much to his annoyance he hadn't been able to fully forget his twin. The weather was wonderful, it was warm enough to go for a swim and he had spent the last few days running around with the other children in Rivendell. Still, he always caught himself thinking things like: "'Ro would have liked this', or 'If 'Ro were here…"  
  
This annoyed him to no end! He wasn't missing his brother! He certainly could manage a few days without his twin…he should enjoy it! After all, it was always Elrohir who slowed him down, who warned him of the consequences when he was doing something stupid.  
Elladan could do stupid things all day now, and there wasn't anyone who could prevent him from it.   
  
Well, Elrond of course.   
  
And maybe Glorfindel.  
  
And his teachers. And all the other adults elves in imladris.  
  
The elfling scowled as he realised that his situation really wasn't much better. He had hoped that maybe he wouldn't have to study while his brother was away, but he had been wrong. The last few days he had suffered through two horribly boring history lessons. His teacher had told him they would continue their lessons because Elrohir would be taught in Lórien as well.  
  
Unfair. It was so unfair. Why did he have to attend lessons when Elrohir, the only one of the twins who actually liked reading, wasn't here? Elladan would have rather preferred to train with his sword, but no…  
  
Sighing deeply, he plucked grass out of the ground and threw it away, observing how the green blades sank slowly to the ground. The morning had actually been quite interesting, they had played hide-and-seek and Elladan had won. Unfortunately the other children had to go back to their families and Elladan was now alone in the gardens, waiting for them to go outside again.  
  
Of course, he could have gone to his father, but that would show that he was bored, and he didn't want that to happen. It would only harden their parent's assumption that they couldn't live without each other, and Elladan was determined to prove them wrong. He was *not* bored…he was simply resting a bit.   
  
Still, he needed something to do, or he wouldn't convince his father at all…

Elrond had the uncomfortable habit of appearing right when the elflings didn't want him to appear, and if the Lord of Imladris stepped behind him this very moment, Elladan wouldn't have known what to say. After all, everybody knew that he was not the type to sit down and think.  
  
He frantically looked around, searching for his father, but fortunately, he was nowhere to be seen. Elladan stood up and frowned, trying to come up with something to do.   
  
Playing pranks was only fun when there was someone to watch, or so he thought, so that wasn't a possibility. And for all the other games he knew, he needed at least one other person. Being alone was no fun!  
  
He quickly scampered off, eager to find something to do. He could always watch the guards, but he had to be careful that he didn't appear there more than usual, and since he had already visited them this morning, this was not a possibility.  
  
He could go inside and do his homework…nay, Elladan immediately shoved this idea away. Even when he was bored out of his wits, he would never do his homework voluntarily _(A/N: He's not the only one, people . *guilty look*) _  
  
He started running to see how fast he could go then stopped when he reached some trees. Thoughtfully the dark-haired elfling glanced up, pondering if he should climb up or not. Since there wasn't anything better to do at the moment, he voted for climbing and grabbed the lowest branch.  
  
Since the twins had been little, they had climbed trees with joy, and it was one of the rare things they both enjoyed – and they both were good at. Somehow, it was pleasant to be able to look over the others, especially when one was smaller than the rest of the people.  
  
Elladan climbed to the highest branch and lowered himself into a sitting position, glancing over Imladris and feeling like a Lord himself. He could hear the singing of the birds and the occasional talking of elves who walked by, but they didn't notice him in the high branches.  
  
A wicked gleam appeared in Elladan's eyes; if he just had something to drop down, maybe a bucket of water, that would surely startle the elves…especially since they always appeared so formal and stiff, with no dirt marring their perfect clothes. But he would be caught, for there was no way to escape the tree fast enough. So he shoved the idea away, saving it for later, when the chance to flee was greater.  
  
There was rustling in the tree, and Elladan looked up, startled, only to realise that he wasn't alone in his high place anymore. A small blackbird had joined him, eyeing the big thing which was sitting in its tree closely.   
  
"Hello little one!" whispered Elladan, not moving, for he was afraid to scare the animal away. "Come to visit me? I won't harm you, I promise."  
  
Satisfied that the elven child wasn't intending it any harm, the blackbird settled down on a branch and started singing its song, with an attentive elfling listening. Both twins shared a fondness for animals, although Elrohir usually managed to tame them easier, since he had more patience than his impulsive twin.  
  
Elladan chuckled slightly and leaned his head against the tree, watching the blackbird. It reminded him of the songs his mother had sung to them when they had been little. Every evening, she would sit down with her sons, looking out of the window while she sang the soft elvish tunes that told of the love and merriment from nature and the Valar.  


  
  


* * *

  
  
  
It was a lot later when Elrond strolled through the gardens, searching for Elladan. He had assumed that his oldest son would be together with the other children, but they had told him they hadn't seen the twin since morning. He hadn't appeared in his study, either. 

Now it was evening and Elrond was quite curious as to what his son was up to. Elladan wasn't the type to play alone, and if he wasn't with the other children, what was he doing then?  
  
Maybe he was sitting in a corner, brooding because Elrohir wasn't here…although, thought the Elf Lord inwardly sighing, that would probably never happen. It was beyond his understanding how his sons could be so stubborn. He himself had never been like that!  
  
Well, at least not that often.  
  
All right, maybe a few times.  
  
He walked slowly over the grass, enjoying the evening sun which sent its golden rays over the area. Not far away he could see a tall tree and smiled slightly as he discovered the little elfling in the branches. Elladan had his eyes half-closed as he listened to a bird who was chirping only a few meters away from him.  
  
Elrond stopped and watched this rare sight, the smile never leaving his lips.  
  
"Elladan?" The Lord called softly, startling the child out of his dream-like state.  
  
The twin looked down and frowned lightly as he discovered his father. "Yes, Ada?"  
  
"I haven't seen you all day." It was more of a statement than a question, but still Elladan felt that he had to answer.  
  
"I was playing." He said defiantly. "I don't like being inside when the weather is nice. I forgot the time."  
  
"Wasn't it boring without your brother?"  
  
Elladan eyed his smiling father suspiciously. Elrond was not usually fooled by words, but was able to see into one's heart and recognise the truth. He scowled slightly, not wanting to admit the truth. "No, I wasn't bored at all. I am perfectly able to play on my own and I don't need Elrohir." The stubborn look appeared once again on his face and he evaded his father's gaze.  
  
Elrond suppressed a chuckle. It was more than clear that Elladan had been bored and that he missed his brother although he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself. The Elf Lord wondered how long it would take the elfling to realise how much his twin meant to him? What a close bond they shared?  
  
It was actually quite amusing. Elrond himself could remember several fights he had had with his own twin brother, Elros, and he also could recall the terrible feeling he felt every time when each of them was too stubborn to give in. No doubt that Elladan felt the same, as well as Elrohir. It was only a matter of time until Celebrian returned with a bawling Elrohir…  
  
Alas, Celebrian. He sighed as he thought of his beautiful wife. She hadn't been away for long, but he missed her dearly, wanted to hear her lovely voice. But it was necessary, and it had to be done – complaining would help matters.  
  
"Come on, let's go inside." He said in a soft voice and Elladan silently scrambled down the tree, choosing wisely not to reply.   
  
They both walked down the corridors of Imladris, Elladan staring firmly at the ground, until the soft voice of his father startled him once again. Elrond had stopped beside a window, gazing outside at the beautiful sunset.  
  
"You know, sometimes we don't know how dear something is to us until we lose it. And then it is too late." He kneeled down on the ground in front of his son. "Do you understand me?"  
  
Elladan gnawed on his lower lip, but didn't reply. The fire burning in his eyes told Elrond that the twin was still angry and being stubborn. He sighed.

"I don't appreciate your behaviour, Elladan. And I don't appreciate Elrohir's behaviour either. You both are acting inappropriately, and I thought you knew better. You have the rare gift of having a twin who shares your life, who will always be by your side. Don't throw that away. Don't destroy your unique bond by stubbornness."  
  
"I never wanted to be a twin." Elladan replied sullenly and crossed his arms. "I never asked for this bond, it was simply given to me."  
  
Elrond groaned inwardly, but kept a patient expression. "Don't ever say such a thing." A touch of coldness entered his voice. "For it could come true sooner than you'd expect it. And if something happened to Elrohir, you would never forgive yourself."  
  
"He's safe in Lothlorien, nothing will happen to him!"  
  
"Oh yes?" Elrond raised an eyebrow. "And what if they are attacked on their way home? What if orcs or wargs or even wolves decide to attack their group, and the soldiers aren't strong enough to defend your brother?" He felt sick at the thought of telling such brutal things to his oldest, but he felt that Elladan needed a mental slap.  
  
The tall elf drew closer to his son and stared right into Elladan's grey-blue eyes while whispering softly. "What if your brother dies and never comes back? And you haven't even said goodbye to him?"  
  
A long silence ensued and Elrond observedhow the face of the older twin paled rapidly. Satisfied that his stubbornness didn't reach so far, he stood up and nodded. "Think about it. And when you have thought enough, come to me!"  
  
He walked away, his long robes flying around him, leaving a very confused Elladan standing beside the window.   
  
"If Elrohir dies…" the elfling repeated and tried to imagine a life without Elrohir. Elrohir, who would never return, Elrohir, who wouldn't glare at him, Elrohir who would simply not be there…for always.   
  
Strangely, he couldn't imagine this at all. It was impossible.  
  
"But…he should apologize," he whispered. Some of the conviction in his tone, however, had disappeared.   
  


**To be continued...**  


  


* * *

**Erothwen** – Well, I don't like Elrohir and Elladan being apart, either, but I think something like this would have been likely to happen…after all, I know how much my sister and I quarrel (although we aren't twins, thank God!). And they ARE missing each other – they are just too stupid to admit it. *g*  
  
**Iawen Londea** – Right now Elladan isn't up to anything…I think he misses his brother greatly, although he doesn't want to admit it. And he's bored…don't you just hate boredom?? I do!  
  
**xsilicax** – Ah well, of course they are missing each other. Honestly…but they are stubborn. STUBBORN in capital letters! *smirks* And so it will take a while for them to admit what they are feeling…maybe they'll need a drastic event, I don't know…*g*  
  
**Araya Arwen** – Glad that you like it that much! I try to update as fast as possible, but it's difficult with my full schedule…  
  
**arabella thorne** – Yes. Elrohir has some friends! I think he's usually shyer than his brother, thus not making friends that easily, that's why I gave him some. He shall enjoy his time^^  
  
**Silverfox **–I'm not a lazy bum…well, at least not all the time. Eheh. I'm just stressed…uh…WHAT? Jo the flie has died? OH NO! One of my most faithful reviewers! Jo..I WILL MISS YA! *sobs*  
FF-Net Admin: Please ignore the ramblings of the author. She's not quite sane.  
Kaeera: WHAT?  
FF-Net Admin: *scrambles away*  
Kaeera: *snorts* That's better.  
Well, I'm really sorry for the delays between chapters, but right now I'm working eight hours every day and when I come home, I'm too tired to write…  
  
**hoellenwauwau** – In England? Da wollte ich auch immer hin…Aber uns haben sie ja alle Studienfahrten gestrichen, also kann ich das wohl vergessen. Argh. *frustriert sei*  
Naja, ich bin wahrscheinlich der Meinung, dass alles ohne eine ordentliche Portion Drama lahm ist – aber da kommen noch mehr solche Kapitel. Hach, was sind die beiden auch so dickköpfig. *grummel*  



	5. Elenath

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de  
  
**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Notes**: Hmm...it may be that Celeborn is a bit out of character, but I don't really know how to portrait him. *sighs* He's kind of a shadowy character, don't you think? Always Galadriel's unknown sidekick...Still not much action in this chapter, but I will try to change that in the next chapters. Hopefully that'll make the story more interesting!

* * *

  


**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Five: Elenath**  


"Amme! Amme!" Elrohir raced through the corridor, sliding on the wooden floor. His mother was walking outside in the garden and he had just seen her from the windows. The young elfling had been searching for his mother quite a while now, once again realising how big Lothlorien was. It gave him an unfamiliar feeling – in Imladris he knew every nook and cranny and therefore knew the fastest route to get places, but here he had to use stairways, corridors and other boring things like that.  
  
"Amme?" He trampled down a stairway. So eager was he to show Celebrian his new discovery that he didn't notice the other elf who was walking down another corridor. As Elrohir quickly slid around the corner, he ran into a rather big body in front of him and fell painfully on his back.  
  
"Ouch," he said, and then jumped up, realising what had happened. "I'm sorry!" the younger twin said frantically, bowing deeply. "I didn't see you. I never meant to run into you."  
  
"Oh no, I perfectly understand that you have matters of great importance," replied an amused voice, and Elrohir looked up. Blushing furiously, he realised that he had run directly into his grandfather, Lord Celeborn.  
  
"I-I-I…" he stuttered, blushing furiously. He didn't know his grandfather very well, but Elladan had told him terrible things about him; that he was a great ruler and that he was very strict. Although, Elrohir had to admit as he peered at the elf, he didn't seem to match that description. After all, his smile was kind and his eyes were like mother's – warm and caring.  
  
"We haven't had the chance to have a conversation since you arrived here." Celeborn smiled. "May we do so now?"  
  
Elrohir nodded numbly, following his grandfather as the elf started to walk down the staircase. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the events, but didn't dare to refuse his grandfather.  
  
Celeborn simply smiled gently at the child, aware of the discomfort of the younger elf. "Now, tell me Elrohir, do you like it here in Lothlorien?"  
  
The elfling's face lit up. "Oh, I love it! It's wonderful, all the trees and other children, and it's so different from Imladris because you actually live in the trees! I love climbing, Amme is always scared when I am too high up, but I don't understand why – it's nice to feel the wind in your face and to be able to watch everything!"  
  
Celeborn laughed softly at the fire in Elrohir's eyes. "Aye, I see."  
  
He hesitated for a bit, amusement shining in his eyes as he watched the elfling who reminded him Celebrian when she had been that little, running around and climbing the trees. "But tell me, little Peredhil, don't you miss your brother? I was told that you and Elladan were very close."  
  
Elrohir's face darkened at this, but he remembered his manners and spoke in a polite tone. "No, I don't miss him. He's often mean to me and doesn't apologize – the children here are much nicer. I think it's stupid that everybody thinks I have to miss him just because he is my twin."  
  
"Stupid, you say? Really?" Celeborn raised an eyebrow and Elrohir was strangely reminded of his father. He inched backwards.   
  
"Alas, don't you like your brother at all then?" The tall elf frowned slightly.  
  
The elfling seemed to be uncomfortable with this question and he shifted his weight. "Well, not really. I mean…I guess, no. He can be nice at times. It's not that I hate him…most of the time." He hesitated, realising that his words didn't really make sense.  
  
Celeborn had to do the best to hide his smile. Celebrian had told him of her worry about the twins and their constant fighting, and he had wanted to interrogate Elrohir about his feelings. It was quite amusing to watch how the elfling struggled to explain his feelings, which Elrohir didn't even understand himself.  
  
"It's just that everybody says that we should be best friends and all just because we are twins, and I don't want that." Elrohir explained. "I mean, I was never asked if I wanted a twin or not. I was never asked if I liked having a brother. I think it's unfair."  
  
"Who says those things?" Celeborn wanted to know, as they left the building and walked on the grass outside.  
  
The elfling frowned. "Well…everybody. People."   
  
"People say many things, Elrohir, you have to learn that. And it's not always the truth. Nobody forces you to love your brother – and nobody forces you to hate him." Celeborn kneeled down on the ground and pointed to Elrohir's chest. "It lies in there, don't worry about what people say. It's you who decides, and if you listen to your heart, you will know what is true."  
  
"Listen to my heart?" The twin didn't seem to understand.  
  
"Yes, exactly. It will tell you whether you like or dislike Elrohir. And you might be surprised with the answer." Celeborn smiled broadly and clapped the elfling on the shoulder.  
  
Getting up again, he turned around and winked. "Think about it. But I believe you wanted to see your mother, didn't you?" He pointed over to a large tree. "She's walking over there. Go, run to her!"  
  
Elrohir stared at him and then quickly obeyed, the things his grandfather had said etched in his mind as he ran, waving and shouting, to his mother. His feet didn't make any noise on the soft grass, but she seemed to notice him nonetheless, for she turned around and sent him a warm smile.  
  
"Amme, look!" The boy shouted and held his open palms towards his mother. The tall woman blinked and her smile broadened as she saw what her youngest had brought.  
  
On Elrohir's hands lay a flower; the petals coloured in a bright red, with yellowish streaks. The flower was big, covering his whole palm, and in the warm sunlight it seemed to glow with a strange light.   
  
Elrohir's eyes glowed with pride as he fondly looked at his treasure, then at his mother.  
  
"This is very beautiful," Celebrian said. "Do you know what it is called?"  
  
Elrohir shook his head, jumping up and down excitedly. "Do you know, Amme? Can you tell me?"  
  
Celebrian laughed softly and sat down on the ground, taking the flower out of her sons's hands and placing it on her lap. "Because of the form, and because of the beauty of these flowers, our ancestors call them Elenath[1] . They bloom wherever an elf lives, watching over us, like the stars. It is said that they bring luck to young maidens when picked in the morning sun."  
  
"Oh." Elrohir's eyes were round like saucers. "What a beautiful name!"  
He traced his finger along the petals of the flower. "But it fits!" he proclaimed. "It's really like a star – a star that has come to earth!"  
  
"Maybe it is, Elrohir – maybe it is." Celebrian smiled again and drew her son closer.   
  
Elrohir snuggled into her embrace. He loved cuddling with his mother, but in Imladris he was usually teased by his brother who thought they were too old for such antics. But here, in Lothlorien, everything was different. There were nice children to play with, and great plants, and animals, and his mother…only Ada was missing.   
  
Elrohir frowned. Was Amme missing Ada as well? It seemed unfair that they had to leave simply because Elladan was so stupid. He felt a pang of guilt as he realised that it was his own fault, as well.   
  
"Amme…" he whispered softly in the peaceful silence. "Do you miss Ada?"  
  
Celebrian blinked, surprised by this thoughtful question, and looked down at the elfling. Worry shimmered in Elrohir's eyes and something else she couldn't quite identify.   
  
"Of course I miss him," she answered honestly. "I miss him every time that we are separated, and I know that he feels the same. Don't you miss him, Elrohir?"  
  
"I do." He gnawed on his lower lip, obviously deep in thought.  
  
"And Elladan?" Celebrian prodded gently.  
  
Elrohir's face immediately darkened. "I don't want to talk about him again!"  
  
Celebrian raised an eyebrow in a very untypical Elrondish-way. After so many years of marriage, some of his habits were rubbing off on her.   
  
"Why again? I haven't talked to you about this yet – I merely asked a question."  
  
"But G-Grandfather did." Elrohir crossed his arms rebelliously, and it would have been convincing if there hadn't been the slight hesitation in his voice as he mentioned his grandfather's name.   
  
"And what did he say?" Celebrian asked, mildly curious. She knew that her father felt strongly about both of the twins, and he wanted to help her. However, she knew that he sometimes could be a little bit…harsh.   
  
Elrohir scowled. "I didn't really understand it. He said I should listen to my heart. What did he mean by that?"  
  
Celebrian laughed and ruffled the long hair of Elrohir. "That, my son, you must find out for yourself!"  
  
"Oh." Disappointment was evident in the elfling's voice.  
  
"Don't worry. I think you will do just fine. You just need to think about it for a while." She winked at him and handed him the Elenath back. "Here, take it to your room. We will press it into a book later, and then you can take it back to Imladris and show your brother."  
  
"Really?" Elrohir's face lit up and he grabbed the flower with both hands. "That's great! Thanks, Amme!"  
  
And he turned around on his heels, running towards the closest staircase and dashing up the stairs in such a hurry that he nearly bumped into two other elves. Celebrian simply smiled at the enthusiasm of her son and remained sitting on the grass, enjoying the rare moment of peace and quiet.  


  


* * *

  


"Sometimes, you can see them practising, down there, but not very often." Tonar explained patiently. He and Elrohir were sitting on a rather large tree, observing the ground under them. It was, as Tonar had pointed out, the training ground of the guards, and they had climbed up this tree with the hope of sneaking a look at the warriors.   
The area, however, was empty, and the two elflings exchanged a disappointed look.  
  
"In Imladris, we always watch the guards." Elrohir replied. "Sometimes Glorfindel takes us with him and we sit with him all day and watch. Sometimes we are even allowed to practise with a sword!"  
  
"Really?" Tonar's eyes widened slightly. "That's great! I'm not allowed to start practising until next year." He sighed, depressed. "It's really sad. I want to learn how to use one. I bet it's much more exciting than those boring old history lessons!"  
  
Elrohir blinked. "You have lessons, too?"  
  
"Of course." The other elfling made a face. "Every child in Lothlorien must have them. Some are taught by their fathers and some are taught by special teachers. Some of the subjects aren't too bad, but our history teacher is really boring and stiff and you can't have any fun with him!"  
  
Elrohir smiled slightly, remembering his brother who shared exactly the same attitude about *their* history teacher. "I don't think it's that bad. Sometimes I like to learn about the battles of our ancestors."  
  
"You do?" Tonar eyed him suspiciously. "I'd rather fight a battle myself than simply read about them!"  
  
The twin narrowed his eyes, remembering his brother saying exactly those words, in the same tone that suggested *he* would have certainly fought better than all those stupid warriors.   
It was something Elrohir never liked. He preferred peace instead of war and he couldn't understand why people seemed to like fighting so much.   
  
Sure, it was nice to develop skills with the bow and sword, he could understand that perfectly, but the idea of using that skill on another person – be it orc, animal, or something else – was somewhat frightening.  
  
"I don't." He answered darkly.  
  
Tonar glanced curiously at him and – seeing the sullen look on Elrohir's face – decided that a change of topic seemed to be appropriate.  
  
"So, what do you do at your home for fun? Do you have trees like we do?"  
  
Elrohir shook his head, his spirit rising at the thought of talking about Imladris. "Nay. Of course there are trees, but we don't live in the trees like you do, and there aren't such high stairways and stuff. But we have big waterfalls, they are really huge. We aren't allowed to go near them, though."  
  
"Why is that?" Tonar, who had actually never seen a waterfall before, was eager to hear more about the topic.  
  
"Well, because we could fall into the water and drown," Elrohir explained patiently. "Our parents don't want that to happen, that's why we are not permitted to go near them. Even if you can swim, you can get caught in the current and if that happens, you'll be pulled under the water and will drown."  
  
"Scary." Tonar commented, his eyes glowing with excitement. "So did you ever go there?"  
  
Elrohir turned his head. "Where?"  
  
"To the waterfalls! I would have checked them out. I mean…it's like a real adventure."  
  
"Actually, we went there once…" Elrohir told Tonar hesitantly. "I didn't want to, but my brother dragged me with him." It had been a particularly nasty fight until Elrohir had finally given in.  
  
"And?"  
  
"We got caught." The twin shrugged. "Glorfindel caught us while we were climbing down the ledge, and he immediately took us to our father. Ada was very angry with us and he gave us a very lengthy lecture. After that we had to go to our room. We weren't allowed to leave the main house for the next two weeks!"  
  
"Oh." Tonar seemed disappointed. "But still…I would go see one if I ever went to Imladris. I'm sure it's a great view from the top."  
  
"Yeah. Sure." Elrohir replied without any enthusiasm. The short conversation had brought forth memories he would have liked to forget, and it put him in a bad mood. He didn't want to think neither of his home, nor of his brother.  
  
"Can we play something else?" He finally suggested, already starting to climb down the tree.  
  
"We can, but first we have to pick up my sister. I'm supposed to take her with me." Tonar said sullenly and followed the other elfling. "I really hate it when my parents tell me to take care for Miriel. Why can't she play on her own?"  
  
"I don't know." Elrohir answered honestly and jumped the last meter to the ground.   
  
With a soft thud, Tonar landed beside him and let out a long sigh. "I would rather have a brother than a sister. Sisters are no fun."  
  
"Believe me, brothers aren't that much fun, either," came the dark reply. "They can be as annoying as sisters, if not more. I speak from experience."  
  


**  
**

To be continued...  


  


* * *

[1]Elenath = Star (Sindarin language). At least I hope that this is the correct meaning…I made this flower up, because I couldn't think of a better idea. *sighs*

**EMerald QUeen** - I like it as well when they argue, but I think they don't find it that funny. I remember that I found my fights quite drastic as a kid...ah, it was a bit mean of Elrond to scare Elladan like that, but I guess he just wanted to bring his point across.*sighs* It must be difficult to be a parent...

**Lady of Legola**s - You're twin? My father is a twin as well, but he doesn't tell much about it...pff. Typically. Well, I can't relate to such feelings - I and my sister hate each other most of the time, although we should have grown out of it by now.

**ob** (or whoever you are) - Even if you don't think so, it IS hard to turn of the computer and continue writing this story. Some of us are working eight hours today this summer, and when I come home, I'm too tired to do anything for school, yet alone write fanfiction in another language. I can understand that you want to continue reading, but you must also understand that writing is just a hobby for me and that I 'don't just switch on the computer' and write a chapter in about fifteen minutes. Things like that take time; and I am very busy.  



	6. Catch the lightning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de  
  
**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other?

**Notes:** Yes, I'm late, I know. But school has started again and life is having me in its horrible claws - I barely have the time to finish my homework, yet alone continue writing any fanfictions. But despise all that, I still managed to get out this part, and because I thought the plot was a bit boring, I added a tad drama. *gg* Because a story without drama and angst wouldn't be a story of Kaeera^^ Unfortunately there's a really evil cliffhanger at the end...but the place seemed perfect to stop, so I just couldn't help myself. But don't worry, you won't have to suffer too long from this cliffie, I will really hurry with part seven and hopefully my beta will do so, too :P

* * *

**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Six: Catch the lighting**

It was raining outside, and Elladan stared miserably at the falling water. In such weather, they couldn't go outside and play, and he was bored out of his mind. And unfortunately, his Ada couldn't play with him either because he had important stuff to do. As far as Elladan was concerned, the important stuff always involved boring old parchments and stiff old elves with faces as stern as the face of his history teacher. 

  
How could anyone call that important? 

  
The elfling sighed and leaned his head against the window frame. He, unlike Elrohir, had always despised staying indoors. It was alright when he wanted to play, but it was *not* all right when he was forced to stay inside by some stupid water dropping from the clouds. 

  
Of course, he could read…or write the essay for his lessons, but he'd rather be bored than do something like that. 

  
"Boooring." he grumbled. His friends were staying at their own homes, they were not allowed to go outside in such weather either. He could visit them, of course, but that would only prove that he was lonely, and he refused to do that. 

  
No, he didn't miss his brother. Not at all. If Elrohir had been here, he probably would have read a book, and Elladan would have still been bored. 

  
And still…it was strange to sit alone in his room. In his whole, short life, his brother had always shared a place with him, be it in a bed, in a room or at a table. It was nice to finally be on his own though, but in the end this small measure of comfort did nothing to ease his boredom. 

  
He scowled at the dark sky, heavy with rain clouds. He wanted to do something, but he knew he wouldn't be allowed outside in this weather. 

  
Although…Elladan started grinning and looked around. His lessons were already over and there was no place he had to be for the next two hours. His father was in his study, and Glorfindel was training with the guards. 

  
So, nobody would notice if he went outside. He would get wet, of course, but he didn't care about that. The fact of playing in a thunderstorm was somewhat appealing, and it carried a sense of adventure which Elladan welcomed. 

  
The decision was made very easily. In an instant, the elfling was up and retrieving his things. He didn't even think once of the scolding he would receive later, nor of the fact that he would be completely soaked. Like most children, Elladan only saw what was in front of him, t the consequences of little importance.  


  
Loud thunder boomed through the halls, and his eyes widened slightly. There had been a time when both the twins had been afraid of lightning and thunder. They often crawled into bed with their parents during thunderstorms. 

  
Elladan still felt the old chill of fear, but refused to let it take hold of him. He would be a great warrior when he was older, he couldn't be scared by thunder! How ridiculous! 

  
Would the lightning be any different when he was out there? Maybe…maybe he could touch it if he climbed the highest branches of a tree! The idea alone made him tremble with excitement, and he couldn't get his boots on fast enough. 

  
"This is soo great!" Elladan giggled and dashed out of his room, careful to avoid meeting any other elves on his way outside.

  
When he opened the front door, the wind nearly pushed him back in. Small raindrops, sharp like needles, pricked at his face and rolled down inside his tunic. 

  
He blinked and wiped the wetness away. For a short moment he hesitated, unsure whether he should really venture out in such weather, but then stubborn determination set in and he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

  
Rain immediately poured down on him, and he was soaked in a matter of seconds. Elladan blinked up at the sky and flinched slightly, as loud thunder rumbled through the air, sounding as if the Valar themselves were fighting a battle over him in the clouds.

  
"Whoaa!" The elfling exclaimed and wandered through the garden. He didn't care about the fact that he was wet, or about the storm above his head – all he saw at the moment was the familiar garden cast in a totally new light. 

  
Although it was still late afternoon, everything seemed dark. The thick clouds and the heavy rainfall made it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead.

Elladan gaped at the trees, they resembled huge shadows with arms, and he couldn't suppress the slight shudder of fear that ran through him. They were never allowed outside in such tumultuous weather, and usually, they didn't want to. Nobody could play while it was raining so hard, and getting soaked wasn't on the top of list as well.

  
Then lighting flashed over him. For a short moment, everything was as white as the brightest sunshine, and then the light was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving him standing alone in the darkness.

  
Elladan stood still, stunned, while the water ran down his face. He had never experienced such a violent storm before, he was usually inside or fast asleep whenever a thunderstorm raged over Imladris. It was a breathtaking view, and he felt very small compared to the immense power of nature.

  
Thunder rolled over the sky, and lighting struck again, while Elladan laughed gleefully. He ran through the garden and stretched out his hands to the sky as if trying to touch the clouds.

  
Excitement drove the fear away, and in the heat of the moment, he decided to climb a tree, wanting to reach out even further for the lighting.

  
"Wait, I will get you!" Elladan yelled and raced towards the nearest tree.

  
At first, his hands slipped on the wood, but Elves were excellent climbers, and Elladan had always been fond of trees, so it only took him a few minutes to seat himself on the highest branch.

  
The rain ceased a bit and the elfling was able to look over a seemingly deserted Imladris. He was the only one outside at the moment, everyone else was inside, doing whatever they did until the rain stopped.

  
Feeling strangely pleased with himself, Elladan started to grin madly. He was the only one out here, it was like being king or something like that. He could imagine that it was his garden, and his trees, and that those buildings over there belonged to him…any moment servants would come and greet him respectfully, and…

  
Lost in his dreams, he leaned his head against the tree. Slowly, his fingers started to feel cold, even though it was the middle of summer. The water was icy and the chilly wind didn't make things any better.

  
Suddenly, lightning struck again, brighter than all those before, and Elladan froze, as for a split second, everything was white around him. Immediately he leaned forward, trying to catch the light in his hands – although he knew that he would never get it, but, it was just too much fun – unfortunately, it disappeared too soon and the now familiar darkness surrounded him yet again.

  
Slightly disappointed, the elfling leaned back. "Awww, why can't lightning last longer? I would like to watch it, but before I can do that, they've already…"

  
Loud thunder grumbled again, sounding as if directly above him large wolves were growling. Elladan jumped both in fear and surprise. Too late he realised that it wasn't very smart to jump high up in a tree where the branches were slippery and everything was wet, but it was already too late.

  
His right foot slipped on the wood and before the older twin knew what was happening, he was swaying wildly, trying to regain his balance. A terrified scream escaped his lips, but it only echoed unheard through the loud noises of the thunderstorm.

  
Elladan desperately tried to grab hold of a branch, a twig, anything, but he had difficulty seeing anything in the dim light and through the rain. Then, thunder rumbled again and it was enough to give him the final blow. 

  
Eyes widening in horror, the elfling fell slowly backwards, the ground rushing towards him at an incredible speed.

  
"ADA!" Elladan screamed, tears in his eyes, but there was nobody there to save him, and he landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

  
Above him, the rain continued to fall and thunder growled, oblivious of the small little elfling lying on the muddy ground.

  


* * *

  
Elrond rubbed his eyes wearily as he left his study. The meeting had been long and nerve-wracking, and all he wanted to do now was lay down somewhere and rest a bit. 

  
He glanced out the window and realised the storm hadn't stopped yet. Rain was still pouring from the sky, pelting against the windows by the sheer force of the wind, making it impossible to venture outside without getting soaked immediately.

  
The rain would be good for the gardens, Elrond decided and he walked away from the window. Evening was drawing close and he felt hungry, the result of endless hours sitting in his study conversing with elves who never seemed to have heard of the word 'progress' before.

  
His spirits were a bit dimmed as he thought of dinner. Usually, he looked forward to it, for it was one of the few times in the day he shared with his wife and sons without interruptions.

  
Alas, his wife was not here this evening, just as she hadn't been yesterday and the day before. And instead of his two sons, only Elladan would sit beside him, looking darkly at the food on his plate. 

  
As much trouble as the twins were when they were together, Elrond realised, to his surprise, that he missed their voices, bubbling with excitement as they told him about their latest discovery.

  
Lately, Elladan seemed to be rather…subdued, and the elf strongly suspected that it had something to do with the fact that his twin wasn't here. Although Elladan did his best to hide that fact, Elrond knew that he missed his brother greatly.

  
He frowned for a moment as he wondered what Celebrian and Elrohir were doing right now. Were they having dinner, thinking of him and Elladan? Was Elrohir being as difficult as Elladan? So many questions, and no answers.

  
Elrond entered the dining hall, realising that he was a bit later than usual. Quickly he strolled to his seat, his long robes moving around him. The frown on his face deepened as he noticed the empty chairs at the table. Instead of two, three seats were empty, and Elrond couldn't imagine what would keep Elladan from dinner.

  
He sat down in his chair and sent a questioning glance towards Glorfindel. "Have you seen Elladan?"

  
The blonde elf shook his head, a look of confusion crossing his face. "No, I thought perhaps you had grounded him – that would not have been a surprise."

  
Elrond grinned ruefully. It was true, he sometimes didn't permit his son to attend dinner when he had done something extremely foolish, but as far as he could remember, nothing like that had happened in the last few days. 

  
"No, I didn't punish him. In fact I haven't seen him since before the meeting started this afternoon."

  
"Oh." Glorfindel tilted his head. "Well, maybe he's brooding because nobody he has no one to play with."

  
Elrond shook his head. "I wonder where he gets it from…" Seeing the wicked look on his friend's face, the Lord of Imladris warned: "Don't start!"

  
Glorfindel feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

  
"Sure." Elrond sipped his wine, knowing his friend all too well.

  
"So did you make any progress in convincing Elladan that he doesn't hate his brother?" The blonde warrior prodded, curious. He felt like an uncle to the twins, and seeing them fighting so often had hurt, especially since he knew about the story of Elrond and his twin. 

  
Elrond sighed wearily. "To be quite honest, I have no idea. I think he doesn't really hate his brother – he is just too stubborn to admit it. I can see that he misses him, he keeps looking at Elrohir's place when we are eating, although he does not realize he does it, and his mood has been rather gloomy these last few days. But every time I ask him about it, he avoids the topic and refuses to talk with me." He closed his eyes in frustration. "Honestly, I really don't know why they are making such a fuss about it!"

  
"I don't know, either." Glorfindel smiled. "But then again, they are your children, after all, and the stubbornness of Peredhils is well known among all elves."

  
"Haha. Very funny." Elrond remarked, and looked at Elladan's empty chair. "I shall look for him later. He knows that he is expected for diner."

  
Glorfindel flashed him a grin. "Aye, he can be a bit difficult."

  
"Says who?" Elrond muttered under his breath.

  
His friend quirked an eyebrow. "And you ask me where your son gets his attitude from?"  
  
"Oh, stop it!" The Lord of Imladris growled and attacked his vegetables as if they were orcs trying to kill him. 

  


* * *

  


It was not much later when Elrond strolled through the corridors again, this time aiming for his son's quarters. Elrohir and Elladan usually slept in the same room, sharing a sleeping and a play chamber. Before their big fight, the twins had always reacted badly when they were at night.

  
"Elladan?" he knocked on the door, willing to give his son that much privacy. However, when he received no answer, the tall elf carefully opened the door and peered inside.

  
The room, however, was empty, and no elfling could be seen. The clean bed sheets indicated that it hadn't been used recently. Elrond stepped inside and looked around, but saw no trace of Elladan.

  
A worried frown crossed his features, as he quickly closed the door and walked swiftly through the corridors, calling out for Elladan. He asked several servants, but nobody had seen the young elf, and as the time passed, Elrond couldn't help but feel more and more concerned.

  
Outside, it was still raining, although the storm had eased up. It was no longer thundering, and the previous loud drumming of the heavy raindrops had reverted to a soft noise, barely audible. 

  
Elrond frowned and looked out the window, searching through the thick darkness. Elladan wouldn't have gone outside in this weather…would he?

  
The twins had never been fond of rain, but Elladan had been bored and he always had the most absurd ideas when that was the case…

  
Giving in to his worry at last, Elrond went back to his room to fetch some clothes. He wasn't looking forward to getting wet, but he really was concerned now. As difficult as Elladan could be, it wasn't like him to disappear like this, unless he was really angry. But nothing serious had happened in the last few days, so that couldn't be the reason for his disappearance. 

  
The other possibility which came to his mind– namely that something had happened to his son – did nothing ease his worries at all.

  
On his way outside, he met Glorfindel who was walking through the hall with a rather content look on his face. 

"Are you going outside?" The blonde elf quirked an eyebrow. 

  
"Elladan isn't in his room." Elrond explained simply. "And nobody has seen him."

  
Glorfindel, all too familiar with the youngster's sense of adventure, frowned. "You think that something has happened to him?"

  
"I hope not, my friend, but with him, we can never be safe."

  
"I'll go with you."

  


* * *

  
  


The first thing he noticed was the water. It seemed to be everywhere, soaking his clothes, running down his nose, puddling inside his shoes. The water was cold and clammy and he felt the numbing sensation of the icy liquid in his limbs.

  
The cold was the second thing he noticed, though, as an Elf, the cold should not have affected him. The uncomfortable feeling was beginning to irritate him.

  
Elladan blinked his eyes slowly and was surprised to find he couldn't see anything. It was dark, and the rain blurred his vision. What had happened? Why was his bed wet? Why was it raining in his room? Where…

  
He turned around to ask Elrohir what had happened, only to bite back a cry of surprise. His brother wasn't here and the pain that shot up his leg was intense. 

  
It all rushed back to him, the tree, his slip, and his long, frightening fall to the ground. There had been a sickening noise, and then…nothing more. And now he was lying in the mud and soaked to the bone. He shivered slightly as the cold wind blew past him.

  
Elladan started sobbing, first quietly, but as he realised he was all alone, his sobbing became louder and more desperate. His right leg seemed to be on fire, and he hurt from the numerous cuts and scratches all over his body. Alas, how he wished that his mother were with him right now, taking him in her arms and stroking his hair, like she usually did when one of them was hurt.

  
The tears continued to flow, mixing with the raindrops and spilling from his pale face. This was all Elrohir's fault! If he hadn't been so stupid, then they wouldn't have fought, and they wouldn't have been separated and all this would have never happened…It was because of 'Ro that he was lying out here in the rain, all alone, and hurting…

  
"'Ro…" He chocked out and buried his head in his arms. If he was honest with himself, he really didn't think it was his brother's fault at all. The only thing he wanted, really wanted right now was company, was someone beside him, and the fact that he was so very alone made his heart ache. 

  
Elladan had always hated being alone, but on the other hand he couldn't stand being dependant on other people either. So he shoved his brother away, although he knew that he felt – would always feel – lonely when his younger twin wasn't there.

  
He shivered slightly, as his soaked clothes clung to his small body, and he tried once again to get up. Elladan knew that he couldn't stay here any longer, he had to look for his Ada, but as he tried to get to his knees, a sharp pain shot through his leg and he curled up again, sobbing quietly.

  
But still there was no one to hear his cries, no one, only the endless falling rain…

  


**To be continued...**

  


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**Iawen Londea** - Don't worry, I know how it is when one forgets to review...it happens to me all time. As long as you still let me know here and then that you read the story, I'm glad^^ 

**Lady of Legolas** - No, Elrohir doesn't get into trouble...but Elladan does. Alas, one can never be sure what my evil muse will think up for Elrohir :P

**Erothwen** - Here's Elladan for you, and much angst as well! Don't worry, the next chapter will be about him as well, that way you don't have to suffer too long from the cliffhanger (I am not that mean. Honestly.)

**xsilicax** - There you have your dramatic event! I hope you like it...somehow, I can't seem to be able to write a story about the twins without getting one hurt! Hmm...maybe it's kind of an illness. And yes, it is quite funny how Elrohir is drawn to persons who are totally like his brother^^ 

**EMerald QUeen** - You're right, I would get sick of it, too, and I guess that is a reason why Elrohir is being so stubborn. Deep in his heart, he knows that he misses Elladan, but he doesn't want the adults to be right...I know that feeling, I have experienced it often myself.

**ChasingLiberty** - I think I went on your site and read some of your stories, but I didn't have the time to finish them. The heck, my life is really horrible when I don't even have the time to *read* fanfiction! *sobs* I miss it! Where's my daily dose of drama? *wails* But I'm glad that you liked this story...and please, don't say that you're not as good as me, I mean, I'm just German and non-native after all, there are still a lot of flaws in my writing I wish I could improve!

**Silverfox** - Triplet? Now that sounds cool. My father is a twin, but he doesn't mind when he's away from his brother, and as far as I know, it wasn't any different when they were younger. They went to different schools etc.

**Elanor Bolger** - Wow...twins seem to be very common. I can only write my sibling experience with my older sister in this story, but I guess it is the same. Does your brother know everything about you? That would really interest me...


	7. The pain of being lonely

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-Mail:**kaeera@yahoo.de

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other?

**Notes:** That was a quick update, wasn't it? I didn't want to leave you hanging too long...I am not *that* cruel. And that's the reason why this chapter will be about Elladan as well, althogh it would be Elrohir's turn...sorry Elrohir! Next time, I promise! *pats head* Alas, since I was writing this part, I didn't have to get the next chapter of 'When the Snow Falls' done...it will follow soon, I'll try my best! It's just that I barely am at home right now, which is quite difficult when I want to write.

* * *

  


**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

  


**Part Seven: The pain of being lonely**  
  
The wind slowly died down as the storm moved on, making it easier for Elrond to search the dark gardens of Imladris for his son. Why Elladan would go out in such weather, he had no idea, but his search of the buildings had been fruitless and nobody had seen him, either. The only place left to search was outside, causing Elrond to worry even more.

  
Why would Elladan feel the need to venture outside even though he hated thunderstorms? Had he been that distressed that he hadn't even noticed?

  
Guilt washed over the Elven Lord, and he doubled his efforts. He called out softly in the darkness."Elladan?"

  
Glorfindel was worried as well. "This is strange, Elladan should have answered if he's outside. Where could he be?"

  
"I have no idea." Elrond shook his head. "But I fear that something has happened to him."

  
They exchanged a concerned glance and continued calling for the lost elfling. Finally, there was a reply, so weak at first that they couldn't make out the words, but when they listened closely, they recognized the voice.

  
"A-ada? " The voice sounded small and frightened, and the two elves didn't hesitate for a second, they stormed forward towards the direction the sound had come from.

  
"Elladan? Elladan, where are you?" Rain was pouring down making it difficult for Elrond to see.

  
"Ada!" It was more of a sob than a coherent reply, but it helped guide them towards the elfling.

  
"He's over there!" Glorfindel pointed towards a large tree not far away. Under the tree, a small figure lay huddled on the wet ground, thoroughly soaked and shivering pitifully.

  
It took Elrond only one moment to realize that his son was hurt, and then he was off, running towards him. "Elladan!" he gasped and fell to his knees, trained eyes scanning the motionless figure.

  
"Ada…" was the whimpered reply and two arms reached up, seeking the comfort they hadn't been able to have up until now. Elrond immediately gathered his son in his arms and made comforting noises as the elfling cried into his robe.

  
"Elladan, are you hurt?" he asked, already running his hands over the little body in front of him to search for injuries.

  
"My leg…it hurts…" Elladan sobbed. "I didn't want to…really…I wanted to return before dinner, but then I slipped, and I fell…and it hurt so much, I couldn't walk, and nobody would hear me, and it was raining, and, and…"

  
"Shhh, it's all right. I'm here now. Everything will be all right." Elrond soothed, while Glorfindel bent down to examine the small leg. 

  
"It seems to be broken." The blonde elf announced and looked sympathically at the elfling. "Does it hurt anywhere else, Elladan?"

  
"No, not as much as…my leg…" was the soft reply.

  
"Hush, don't cry, my little one." Elrond placed a kiss on his son's forehead. "I will carry you home, but it may hurt a bit. Can you be strong only for a few more minutes?"

  
"I'll…try." Elladan shivered. "It's cold Ada."

  
"There will be a warm fire in your room." Elrond gathered the little elfling in his arms and stood up carefully to avoid making any sudden movements that would hurt Elladan further. 

  
The elfling clutched his robes tightly as if he never wanted to let him go again, and Elrond could only begin to imagine how horrible it must have been to be stuck outside during the storm and with a broken leg to make it worse, for…how long? He didn't know, but judging from the coldness of Elladan's skin, it had to have been more than just a few minutes.

  
"Everything's all right now, you are safe." He spoke in a calming tone and was relieved that Elladan's shivers eased up a bit. But his hands still wouldn't let go of his father's tunic.

  
"I will rush ahead and prepare the room." Glorfindel spoke in his ear softly, and Elrond nodded.

  
"Prepare one of the pain medicines as well, I think he might need it. And please make sure a fire is started in his room. I don't want to bring him to the healing wing, he will be more at ease in his own room."

  
"Of course my lord." Glorfindel nodded and dashed off through the rain, while Elrond continued at a slower pace whispering soothing words into the ear of the frightened elfling.

  
"I'm sorry, Ada." came the small, miserable voice.

  
"You don't have to be, Elladan."

  
"But I ran away during the storm even though you told us not to go outside in this kind of weather, and then I managed to get myself hurt. I only wanted to see the lighting, it was so pretty, and then I slipped, and it really hurt…"

  
"I know, my little one, I know." Elrond gently stroked his son's wet hair. "But it happened and we cannot change it. We simply have to accept things as they are and try to learn from our mistakes. Next time, you will be more careful, and maybe you won't try to climb trees during a thunderstorm again."

  
"Maybe." Elladan sniffed. "But you know Ada, I really missed Elrohir while I was all alone. It felt terrible."

  
"You both belong together." Elrond simply stated.

  
"I guess he really isn't that bad after all…" The words were barely audible as the sleepy elfling mumbled them into his father's robe, but Elrond understood them nonetheless, and smiled.

  
"It makes me happy to hear that." he admitted. "It would be really, really sad if my two sons hated each other, because I love you both dearly, and your mother as well. You may quarrel sometimes, but he's still you brother, and you share a special bond."

  
"Hmmm." Elladan mumbled tiredly, and Elrond chuckled. 

  
"See, we've reached the main house. It won't be long till we get you out of these wet clothes and in your warm bed. Then I'll give you some tea and you can fall asleep without any more pain."

  
"That would be…great." the elder twin wiped his eyes.

  
Elrond hugged him closer. "You are safe now." 

  
Finally, Elladan was able to relax.

  


* * *

  


When they reached the twin's room, Elrond laid the half-asleep elfling on his bed. Glorfindel had already brought in some bandages, and was now brewing a tea laced with healing herbs.

  
When he was done, they both stripped Elladan out of his wet clothes, careful to avoid moving his leg.

Elladan's upper body was covered with numerous bruises, and in the light, they could see several dark cuts on his face. Fortunately they were relatively minor compared to the leg, and Elrond was sure they would heal quickly. 

  
He gently coaxed his son to drink the tea, and when he was finally asleep, he and Glorfindel splinted his leg.

  
"Fortunately it's not a complicated break." Elrond sighed in relief as he wrapped a bandage around the leg.

  
"Yes, but he will still be confined to bed for a couple of weeks, and you know how hard that will be." Glorfindel grimaced. "The twins were never fond of staying inside, and I am sure it will be difficult to keep him in his room."

  
"Oh yes, I am sure you are right." was the dry reply, as the Lord finished bandaging the leg and began applying an ointment to the small cuts on Elladan's face.   
  
Glorfindel shook his head. "I just don't get it…why did he go outside during the storm? Elladan is afraid of thunderstorms, isn't he?"

  
"He told me that he wanted to catch the lighting, because it looked so pretty." Elrond smiled. "But I think there may have been another reason as well. I think he was trying to prove to himself how strong and independent he can be without his brother, although he had to have been scared."

  
"For such a young one, it must have taken much courage to venture out in such weather, especially when he is so afraid of thunderstorms." 

  
Elrond looked down at his son with a strange mixture of pride and concern on his face. "I think being separated from Elrohir affects him even more than we know."

  
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "I didn't get that impression at all."

  
"Oh, he hides it well. But when I was carrying him, he told me he really wished his brother had been with him today. He also said Elrohir wasn't that bad after all." The Elven Lord chuckled. "Although he seemed to be pretty embarrassed to admit it.

  
"That was to be expected."

  
"Well, the separation won't last much longer. Celebrian will start her journey back home in about a week, and soon, we shall al be reunited. I believe Elladan has learned his lesson, but I wonder if Elrohir has as well?"

  
Glorfindel tilted his head. "Hasn't Elladan always been the more stubborn one? Elrohir should be all right if Elladan is ready to make peace, should he not?"

  
"I fear not, my friend." Elrond tucked the blankets around the elder twin and stood up, stretching his arms. 

  
"Although Elrohir can be more reasonable than his brother, he can be even worse than Elladan, believe me. He's just as stubborn, but he hides it well."

  
"Let's just hope that he didn't do something as foolish as this one." The blonde elf pointed to the sleeping elfling to emphasize is words. "One injured twin may be bad, but two will be horrible."

  
A horrified look appeared on Elrond's face. "Don't say that! I am looking forward to a peaceful summer! At least for once…"

  
Glorfindel patted him on the shoulder. "Elrond…maybe you haven't noticed…but you haven't had a peaceful moment since the day the twins were born. And knowing those two, it will be that way for quite a while." 

  
Then he smiled. "But I guess it is pretty safe to say you don't regret it, will you?"

  
"Oh no, not at all." Elrond chuckled. "But sometimes, it would be nice to have a little bit of peace and quiet, I must admit."

  
"Oh, really?" His friend sent him an unbelieving look. "Knowing you, you would soon become bored with all so-called peace and quiet, Elrond. You are too much like your sons. You enjoy the excitement, every day, and I like it as well." His eyes twinkled. "For it has brought many a smile to my face."

  
"Aye, my friend, I believe there's a little bit of truth in that…"

  


* * *

  


It was late the next morning when Elladan finally awoke from his peaceful slumber. Wearily, the elfling blinked his eyes open and scanned his surroundings. The memory of coming back to his room last night was quite blurry, and so he spent the next few minutes trying to recall exactly what had happened.

  
The storm seemed to be over, bright, yellow sunrays shone through the large window and illuminated the whole room in a warm, golden light. The shadows of the trees painted little pictures on his bedcovers, and a slight breeze rustled through the branches moving the pictures. 

  
Elladan rubbed his eyes and winced as his hand brushed the large cut on his left cheek. He suddenly remembered his father finding him and bringing him back to his room. 

  
Now, that the sun was shining and everything was so warm, the memory of the terrible night seemed to fade away and the pain was already forgotten, until Elladan tried to out of bed.

  
A sharp pain shot up his leg and he whimpered slightly. Throwing aside the bedcovers, he sent an inquiring glance towards his uncooperative limb and saw that his leg was wrapped in thick bandages. It didn't hurt too much when he didn't move, so he left it alone and lay still.

  
The elder twin had once broken his arm two summers ago and the feeling had been very similar to what he was feeling now. He also remembered the terrible time afterwards in which he hadn't been allowed to use his arm at all. He really hoped that this time wouldn't be like that.

  
"Finally awake, I see." came a friendly voice from the doorway, and Elladan turned around to see Glorfindel standing there.

  
"Hello Glorfy!" He smiled.

  
"That was quite foolish of you, falling out of a tree, don't you think?" The blonde elf scolded gently. "I thought you had more sense than that."

  
Elladan blushed furiously and stared at the bedcovers. "I only wanted to see the lighting." he murmured sheepishly.

  
"Alas, and now you have a broken leg as a result. Do you realize what that means?"

  
The elfling shook his head, afraid to hear the answer.

  
"Well, you will have to stay in bed for at least two weeks, depending on how long it takes your bones to mend. You must not move your leg too much because then it won't heal properly." 

  
He chastised the young elf gently and grinned at the shocked look on Elladan's face. "I guess that is punishment enough for you, your father and I have decided not to punish you further. But I really hope that you have learned from your mistake!"

  
Elladan nodded quickly, gulping at the prospect of being caged into his room for two weeks, and maybe even more! And there wouldn't be anyone to keep him company! Oh, he would be sooo bored…

  
"Alright. Then," Glorfindel paused, glancing at the elfling who looked much better than last night, "are you hungry?"

  
"Oh, yes!" Elladan replied eagerly, for he hadn't been able to eat dinner the evening before.

  
The blonde elf chuckled. "Then I will ask someone from the kitchen to bring you some breakfast, all right? And I will tell your ada that you are awake. I think he wants to talk with you."

  
Elladan simply nodded and leaned back as the older elf left the room, humming a soft melody to himself.

  
It didn't take long for his breakfast to arrive, it was brought in by a beautiful she-elf who reminded Elladan painfully, of his mother. He shook off the sad memories and dug in to his meal, enjoying the fresh bread and sweet honey. He had not realized how hungry he was, and he did his best to satisfy the empty feeling in his stomach. He even forgot about the pain while he ate.

  
The plate was nearly empty when another elf entered the room, smiling broadly at the sight of young Elladan.

  
His son was really a sight to behold, thought Elrond as he stood in the doorway watching Elladan. Besides having a broken leg and numerous hurting bruises, the elfling's immense appetite hadn't been affected at all and he had emptied the whole tray, leaving only a few crumbs on his plate. 

  
Honey was smeared around Elladan's mouth as he looked up, finally noticing Elrond watching him patiently. 

  
"Ada!" he exclaimed and tried to scramble out of bed, only to wince in pain as his leg protested fiercely against the rough treatment. 

  
"Easy, Elladan." Elrond rushed to his side and helped to settle down again. "You aren't supposed to move your leg too much. It has to heal, and that will take time."

  
Elladan sniffed. "But I don't want to stay in bed for so long. It is so boring!"

  
"Well, unfortunately, that cannot be helped." Elrond brushed his son's hair out of his eyes and smiled reassuringly. 

"But don't worry, after the first few days you will get a walking cast and you'll be able to move around a bit with crutches. Running and jumping, however, won't be allowed until your leg is fully healed!"

  
"Really?" Elladan's mood lightened a bit at this, but the prospect of not being able to run for at least two weeks was dampening his spirit.

  
"Yes. And who knows, maybe your mother and Elrohir will return soon. That would be a pleasant surprise, wouldn't it not?"

  
A mixture of feelings rushed over Elladan. Happiness that his brother might come back to keep him company and a hint of stubborn conviction that he should still be angry with his younger twin. 

  
Elrond watched the emotions play over his son's face before he interrupted. "Or do you still hate your brother?"

  
Elladan gnawed on his lower lip and looked at his hands. "No…no, actually not."

  
"Won't it be much more fun with Elrohir here to keep you company instead of sitting all alone?"

  
"…Yes."

  
"So would you like him to come back?" Elrond inquired, feeling a bit anxious at what the answer might be. 

  
Stubbornly, Elladan set his jaw and looked in his father's eyes. "Yes."

  
"That's great!" the older elf laughed in relief and he ruffled Elladan's hair. "I was afraid you would keep up this façade, it was really getting annoying."

  
The elfling blushed and avoided his father's gaze. "But I'm still a bit angry with him…" he mumbled softly.

  
"That's all right. After all, you are brothers, it is natural for you to quarrel sometimes. Life would be dull without some conflicts here and then, wouldn't it?" Elrond's eyes twinkled mischievously.

  
"Did you and your brother fight as well, Ada?" Elladan asked curiously, glad to have found a way to change the subject.

  
"Oh yes, many times." was the chuckled reply, as Elrond recalled his younger years. A feeling of sadness washed over him as he remembered his twin, who had left him way too early, and he sighed as he looked at the curious child in front of him. "We used to fight over the silliest things, and sometimes we even hurt each other. But when I grew up, I realized how wonderful it was to have a twin – a person who shares a very unique bond with you and who will be with you all the time, no matter what."

  
Elladan tilted his head. "Do you miss him?"

  
Elrond looked out of the window and nodded. "Oh yes. There are times when I miss him more than anything, but since he's gone, there will always be an empty place in my heart. I sincerely hope that you and Elrohir never have to endure such a fate."

  
"I hope so, too." The elfling admitted and then threw his arms around his father. "But don't be sad Ada, now you have us, and we will fill that empty place in your heart!!"

  
Surprised, the elven lord blinked, and then laughed. "I am sure you will. Thank You, Elladan."

  
The only reply was a giggle and Elrond continued to stare out the window, a sad smile on his face as he realized everything would be alright.

  


**To be continued...**

  


* * *

  
**Silverfox** - Somehow, it never came to my mind that twins could have a mental connection. I mean, all the twins I know are normal people and act like normal siblings. So I haven't actually planned something like that in this story...although it sounds quite interesting, I must admit. Maybe I'll use it somehow. Who knows^^

**Faila Gamgee of Sandy Downs** - ....okay, I'm afraid of your wrath...so here's the next part...

**Erothwen** - No way! I surprised you? Wow....you don't how happy I am about that!!! Normally, my plots are so simple that everyone knows the ending before I write it, which is kind of annoying. But somehow, I can't think of complex storylines...*sobs*

**Lady of Legolas** - If you have something on your mind, say it! I like hearing people's thoughts, as weird they might be^^ 

**xsilicax** - Storms are really fascinating, I share your opinion - that's why I chose to write about it. I can understand why Elladan ventured out in such a weather...I would do it myself...Ah, and I am not that cruel, really...this chapter is about Elladan, too. Because the readers wouldn't be able to concentrate on what was happening to 'Ro when they are still thinking about Elladan, so...it seemed like a wise choice.   
And I don't think that Elrohir can actually feel Elladan's pain...he may get uneasy, but that's probably all.

**Starlight Wolf **- Perfect Family? I react allergical to the word 'perfect'. Perfect is boring...my sister can be annyoing and my relatives embarassing, but I love them all for their crazyness. There's always something to laugh... But you are right, it would be cool to have a brother like Elladan. Or Elrohir. Or both^^

**Iawen Londea** - *sighs* Why does everyone think about twin empathy? I haven't even heard of that before I started this chapter...I'll see what I write. Well, at least Elladan is safe. And it proves that he's less stubborn than Elrohir^^ 


	8. Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de**  
**  
**Summary**: When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

**Notes:** Delay, delay...sorry. I absolutely didn't know what to write! Elladan has realized how important his twin is, but Elrohir, he's still quite stubborn. It is as if they developed a life of their own!! *groans* Now I need to think of something to convince Elrohir that he shall forgive Elladan, but that is easier said than done. Have you ever discussed with stubborn elflings? It's very tireing, I can tell you that. And with my orchestra and such...ya know, we participated in a competition and we won, which means that we are the best youth orchestra in our state and will enter the German competition. Cool, huh? But it was much, much work...free time, where are thou??

* * *

**A Life shared by Two**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Eight: Nightmares  
**   
Elrohir dreamed. At first it was a peaceful dream and his face was relaxed in his slumber, giving the impression of youthful innocence. Glorfindel, in his usual sarcastic mood, had once stated that when the twins slept, it was the only time they looked that peaceful. And it was true, for during the day, both they created so much mischief, it caused the closest to them an overwhelming amount of exasperation.

  
Alas, his dreams changed as the night wore on. An irritated frown on his forehead was the first sign for an approaching nightmare. The elfling tossed around on the bed, but since he was alone in his room, no one was there to wake him from his dreams. His small whimper of fear went unheard, for his mother's room was on the other side of the corridor and not even her elven hears could hear the soft moan.

  
With a gasp he finally woke and bolted up in his bed, breath coming in short, irregular gasps. Tears were visible in his large, pale eyes as he searched frantically for what ever shadow had been haunting him in his dreams.  
  
"'Dan?" he whispered softly, voice barely audible.

  
"'Dan, are you here?"

  
No reply. He looked around, his eyes scanning the room fervently, but he was unable to see his twin. Neither did he recognize the chamber he was in, and for a moment he panicked.

  
Then memory flooded back to him and he breathed a sigh of relief. Elladan wasn't here because his brother had stayed in Imladris while he had come to Lothlorien, the elven realm of his grandparents.

  
However, his relief disappeared as quickly as it had come. The fact that he knew where he was didn't change his current situation, he was still alone in his room and very, very scared. The shadows seemed to whisper around him and every time he turned his head, he imagined he could see something moving, creeping up on him.

  
"No!" Elrohir quickly ducked beneath his bedcovers and lay still, trembling miserably in the large bed. 

  
He couldn't deny it anymore, at this very moment he wished for nothing more than to have his brother at his side, even though Elladan could be annoying at times. His twin always managed to soothe his nightmares away, his presence alone being enough to chase away the darkness.

  
Elrohir curled up and shivered. Sometimes he hated having such a vivid imagination for right now, he could almost feel the hot breath of terrible monsters on the back of his neck, sneaking up to him with their claws stretched out…

  
He squeaked and hid even deeper under the covers, waiting and listening to the sound of his own breathing. The elfling was too scared to fall asleep, but getting out of bed didn't seem like a very good option either, so Elrohir was stuck. He briefly considered calling for his mother, but pride kept him from doing so – what would Elladan say if he heard about it?

  
No, no, he couldn't do that, he would rather stay awake the whole night than suffer the embarassment.

  
Anyway, Elladan always seemed to be the stronger of the two and sometimes, it irked him. His twin was far too stubborn to cry, and if he was frightened – which happened more often than anyone knew - he refused to give in to his fear.

  
Right now he wished he could be like his brother as well. Alas, as was often the case with twins, their identical features had nothing to do with their individual characters. Elrohir had not the stubborn courage of his brother, so giving in to his fear, he stayed where he was, unable to shake off the lingering fear.

  
Minutes passed in which he didn't dare to move, didn't even dare to breathe normally, and he grew more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. Although he was tired, he knew that he wouldn't would find no more rest this night.

  
The images of his dream came back to his mind, and he shuddered as he remembered the coldness, the screams and the horrible feeling of emptiness as he was hunted through dark cellars and caves. Elves hated dark and narrow spaces, and Elrohir was no exception. 

  
The idea of being miles under the earth, cut off from the sun and green forest he loved so dearly, scared him. His ada had often told him stories about other races who liked living underground, but he couldn't understand how any creature could possibly prefer darkness to light! Darkness was scary, monsters and other evil things often hid in the darkness…

  
Elrohir couldn't remember exactly what his dream had been about, but he was pretty certain that there had been monsters, and that he had been alone, like he was right now. He didn't like being alone. If only Elladan were here, perhaps then, he would feel better. Maybe they shouldn't have fought. Maybe they should have made up and…

  
No! He growled stubbornly and closed his eyes in defiance. He wouldn't give in! Not this time! He was always the one to give in first, to restore the peace between them, and now he was tired of it. Elladan had made his share of mistakes, too, it was only right that *he* should apologize first this time, not Elrohir!

  
"I won't give in!" he whispered harshly and gasped surprised at the hollow sound of his voice. The shadows seemed to whisper again, and he buried himself deeper under the covers, willing the night to pass quickly.

  
Finally, after many long dreadful hours, morning dawned and he was up as soon as the golden sunrays filled his room. It was much earlier than his usual time to wake up, but he couldn't sleep anymore and he was eager to leave the stifling room.

He peered out his door and down the corridor and was relieved to find everyone else still sleeping. The birds had just started singing and Elrohir, suddenly filled with renewed burst of energy, decided to explore the gardens a bit more. Maybe he would see some animals or plants he hadn't yet seen. Besides, the garden would be very peaceful this time of the morning, surely no one would disturb him.

  
The higher the sun rose, the more his nightmares faded. The garden filled with light and the shadows disappeared, leaving only brightly coloured red and yellow flowers and lush green grass in its wake. 

  
Elrohir giggled and stretched out on the ground, enjoying the scent of the earth and nature. It smelled like spring, like life, banishing any lingering darkness. Here in this garden no one could possibly have nightmares, he was sure about that. 

  
Before he realized it, Elrohir was lulled to sleep by the soft singing of the birds curling up under the rose bushes of Lothlorien.

  


* * *

  
  


"Elrohir, nin mellon, it is time to wake up!" Celebrian called cheerfully, as she entered the room of her youngest son. The sun was shining and it was promising to be a beautiful day. Celebrian was in good spirits.

  
However, the smile on her face vanished quickly when she saw her son's empty bed. 

  
"Elrohir?"

  
The lady of Imladris worriedly scanned the room, but found no trace of the twin. Frowning slightly, she stepped out into the corridor and asked a bypassing servant. "Have you seen my son, Elrohir, anywhere? He isn't in his room."

  
The servant, a small, female elf with beautiful light brown hair, shook her head. "No, my lady, I haven't seen the young Lord at all this morning. I assumed he was still sleeping."

  
"He isn't." Her frown deepened. "That's strange – he usually waits for to wake him."  
  
"Maybe he already went down to breakfast." The servant suggested. "I will ask the others if they have seen him."

  
Celebrian nodded. "Thank you very much."

  
The servant bowed and hurried away. Celebrian tried to think where her son could be. Lost in thought, she walked down the stairs, and into the breakfast room where her parents awaited her.

  
Alas, as she reached that room – it was more of a porch, large windows without glass giving a full view of the magnificent trees outside – she could discover Celeborn and Galadriel, but no Elrohir. Her confusion changed to worry and she decided to approach her mother.

  
"Are you searching something, my child?" Galadriel spoke before Celebrian was even able to open her mouth.

  
"Elrohir isn't in his room."

  
Celeborn frowned at this. "Where could he have gone at such an early hour?"

  
"I find myself asking that as well."

  
Galadriel smiled. "Have you searched everywhere?"

  
"No." Celebrian flushed. "I actually came here first for I thought he had joined you for breakfast."

  
"Then, my child, you should probably go and look in the gardens. If you do not find him there, then we can worry."

  
She nodded. "Of course."

  
Celebrian left hurriedly, leaving a rather confused Celeborn and a mysteriously smiling Galadriel behind.

  
"Where did he go?" Celebrian murmured under her breath as she hurried down another staircase. It was untypical for Elrohir to disappear like this, he was usually the more responsible one of the twins. He had been known to slip up though, on occasion, and he had inherited his father's stubbornness.

  
She stepped into the garden and stopped for a moment, breathing in the fresh summer air. As much she loved Imladris, nothing could compare to her first home, Lothlorien. The familiar places she had used as a playground in her childhood, her parents, and, of course, the trees. They should visit her parents more often. 

  
A small smile played around her mouth as she promised herself she would talk about that with her husband as soon as she returned home.

  
"Elrohir?" She called out softly, reminding herself of the actual reason she had ventured into the gardens in the first place.

  
"Elrohir, nin mellon, are you there?" Celebrian searched under the trees, knowing that her search would be fruitless if her son didn't want to be found – Lothlorien was far too big and there were too many hiding places for an adventurous young elfling.

  
The gardens were empty, and the only reply to her calls was the chirping of the birds. Her worry was increasing as she continued to search and could find no trace of the elfling. Where did he go? 

  
Wondering if she should ask someone else if he or she had seen Elrohir, she walked towards the rose bushes, her most favourite place in all of Lothlorien.

  
Celebrian would never have found her son if she hadn't stumbled over a tree root at that very moment. Actually, the tree root wasn't a tree root at all, but a small foot sticking out from under the bush.  
Celebrian's heart skipped a beat as she recognized her son's foot. What was he doing out here in his nightgown? She quickly knelt next to him and looked at him closely, realising that he was only sleeping soundly.

  
"Elrohir?" Celebrian whispered, as her worry slowly vanished. Why was her son sleeping in the gardens instead in his own bed?

  
She gently nudged him and he groaned, then rolled over on his side as he woke up. His usually neat hair was dishevelled, covered with bits of grass and twigs, and he wore an adorable look of confusion ion his face.

  
"Amme?" Elrohir sat up and his head collided with the rose bush. "Ouch!"

  
"Would you to tell me why you are sleeping in the gardens instead of in your bed?" Celebrian raised an eyebrow at him in a very Elrond-ish way.

  
"Uhm, I, uhm…"

  
"I'm waiting." 

  
"Well…" Elrohir frowned, trying to recall everything that had happened. "I woke up early and then I went outside…I guess I fell asleep." He blushed sheepishly and avoided his mother's gaze. He did *not* want to tell her about his embarrassing nightmares and the fact that he had spent the whole night wide awake, hiding under his covers!

  
"And *why* did you wake up early?" Celebrian queried, knowing all too well that there was more behind the story than Elrohir wanted to admit.

  
The twin flinched. Why were his parents always able to see through his evasion techniques so easily? "It was…because…" He was at a loss of words, and desperately searched for something he say that would not be a lie, nor the truth.

  
"Nightmare?" His mother suggested, inwardly amused at the visible discomfort of her son. Elrohir blushed even deeper and wished for a hole to could crawl into.

  
"Yes."

  
Celebrian sighed and cradled her son in her arms, although he resisted at first. "Why didn't you call me, little one? I would have soothed your bad dreams."

  
The elfling stiffened visibly. "I didn't want to bother you." he mumbled softly while refusing to look into his mother's eyes. "And they weren't that bad."

  
"Oh, really?" Alone, the fact that he had fallen asleep outside told Celebrian that it *had* been bad, despite what Elrohir claimed. She strongly suspected that he hadn't slept at all after waking from his nightmare. "You know it is allright for us to be afraid from time to time, don't you?" She nudged him gently.

  
"But you and Ada, you are never afraid of anything!" Elrohir exclaimed.

  
"That is not true, there are many things that frighten us." Celebrian gently explained. "We are afraid of losing you and your brother, we are afraid that one day you will be taken from us and we will never see you again. We are afraid every time Glorfindel rides out with his warriors and we are afraid when they come home injured."

  
Elrohir sniffed. "But those are things that are real and the things that scare me don't even exist… then I feel silly in the morning, but at the night it is horrible…" He blushed, realizing that he had spilled out the very thing he had wanted to hide. His mother knew him too well!

  
Celebrian chuckled. "Oh, Elrohir, if you only knew what kind of dreams *I* had when I was younger…I was just as you are now, scared, even though it was an irrational fear."

  
His head perked up curiously at the mention of his mother doing something irrational. "Tell me about it, Amme, please?"

  
Too late she realized that she had manoeuvred herself into a corner – now the younger twin wouldn't stop nagging her until she had told him about some of her embarrassing childhood moments, and she really hadn't wanted to do that. Alas, as Celebrian looked into the hopeful eyes of her youngest son – eyes which still held a small trace of fear – hear heart melted with love and she found herself thinking of the time she had been but an elfling.

  
"Well, when I was young," she began, hugging Elrohir closely, "I was scared of many things. I was scared of our guards, because they were armed, and I was scared of the cupboard in my room during the night. I always thought monsters would come out of it while I slept, and it took me a long time to believe that only my clothes were inside. I was so embarrassed about that and I never told anybody about it until now."

  
"You were?" Elrohir's eyes brightened. "Tell me more, Amme, tell me more!"

  
Celebrian laughed at the eagerness of the elfling. "Allright, my little darling. Well, when I was your age, I once…"

  
Elrohir listened intensely as Celebrian recalled old memories of her childhood, portraying both Celeborn and Galadriel in a different light and describing Lothlorien in the most beautiful colours imaginable. 

  
His fear slowly dissipated as he realized that being afraid wasn't something to be ashamed of. especially since his mother had gone through much the same thing.

  
He felt content, peaceful and secure in Celebrian's arms, and it didn't take long for the soft gentle voice of his mother to lull him to sleep once more.

  


**To be continued...**

**  


* * *

First Mat**e – Sorry to disappoint you, but it seems as if this time Elrohir is the stubborn one. I like it when their roles are reversed, because although 'Ro is very gentle, one day it will be enough and he has finally reached his limit. I'm quite at a loss right now; it is difficult to write about Elrohir in Lothlorien, because I have no clue what shall happen to him.

**Lady of Legolas** - I fulfilled your fish - you can read about Elrohir this time. Although nothing much happens^^

**Iawen Londae** - Yea, I wonder that no...*hasn't got the slightest idea*

**Websterans** - Thank you for your kind review! I smiled happily when I was reading it! I'm working much with children in my village, that's probably why I can understand what they are thinking. And I can remember how stubborn *I* used to me and that things made perfect sense for me although for adults, it didn't.

**Silverfox** - Say hello back to your triplet friend^^ I have a fondness of Elrohir, too, but I guess one can notice that only by looking at my stories! He's quite stubborn in this story, though...

**Starlight **Wolf - Well, I guess having brothers like Elladan and Elrohir would be annoying at times, don't you think? They'd always play pranks on you...This story is more and more developing into a sappy story, I have no idea why...It's absolutely NOT my style!

**IceRi** - Oh my gawd! An uber-frying pan (I have actually no idea what this is, but to the hell with it *laughs*)!! Leave me in peace, I'm updating, I'm updating...although it took me quite a while. *coughs*  



	9. Falling through the Air

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
**Genre**: General/Drama  
  
**Rating**: PG  
  
**E-mail:** kaeera@yahoo.de**  
**  
**Summary**: When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

(Since Elladan had two chapters in a row, I figured that Elrohir deserved the same.)

Lateness....*coughs*. I know. You are probably ready to kill me by now. Somehow, I seem to be in a slump. And in a really big one. I simply can't WRITE! I sit in front of the computer and it takes me ages to write two sentences. ARGH! And so...it took an eternity to writet his chapter, although it is short, and I haven't even started to write the next chapter of 'When the Snow Falls'. *sobs* Can anyone send me something to fight the Writer's Block, please??

* * *

  


**

A Life Shared by Two

**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Nine: Falling through the Air**  
  
  
When he awoke the next time, it was already late afternoon. Feeling much more relaxed than he had in the morning, Elrohir stretched and yawned. He realised to his surprise, that he was back in his room again – his mother had probably carried him here.  


Eager not to waste any more of the day, the elfling jumped out of bed. He hurried out the door and rannto the gardens, searching for his newfound acquaintances. Alas, he found Tonar and Donael were playing at a small creek not far away, Miriel following behind as usual.  


"Hello!" Elrohir waved and hurried to reach his friends.  


Tonar looked up and his eyes immediately brightened as he recognized the younger twin. "Elrohir! Where have you been? We have been searching for you all morning, but we couldn't find you!"  


"Uhm…" Elrohir stuttered, not wanting them to know why he'd slept late. "I couldn't get away from my room." He answered, hoping that the others would be satisfied with the simple explanation.  
  
"Oh." Tonar sighed. "It was boring without you – we didn't know what to do. It's impossible to do anything exciting with my annoying sister tagging along."  
  
Donael rolled his eyes. "Yes, we wanted to climb the old tree, but the elder elves won't let us. They must think us daft!"  
"What tree?" Elrohir inquired curiously.   
  
"Oh, there's an old tree not too far from here. Hardly anyone ever goes there so it's quite isolated. It is really big, much bigger than most of the other trees around here, and it does have nice holes where you can hide. I've heard from the top you can see everything, though we've never been there." Donael angrily kicked a stone and glared at the ground, reminding Elrohir strongly of Elladan.  
  
"Well, I'm sure there's a reason for such a restriction." He offered in order to lighten the mood.  


Tonar made a face. "I can understand the younger ones being forbidden from going there, but we are older, and we've much experience as tree climbers. They really should know better."  
  
Elrohir shrugged. "You can't change it."  
  
Suddenly, Miriel giggled and ran towards her brother, holding out her hand. Something lay in her palm, and Elrohir looked closer. The small elfling held a nice, glittering, interestingly formed stone. 

  
"Tonar, Tonar!" The small she-elf exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"What?" Tonar's brow furrowed as he looked down at his sister.  
  
Miriel beamed. "A treasure!"  
  
Elrohir smiled inwardly. He understood the excitement of the girl – he had felt it so many times himself when he'd found strange gems in the gardens of Imladris. He always showed them to his parents, or to Elladan, always proud of his latest discovery.

  
But Tonar seemed unable to understand his sister's enthusiasm. "Dear Valar, no!" He rolled his eyes. "It's just a stone! You're really way too young."  
  
Tears welled up in Miriel's eyes at the cruel reply and she started sobbing. "But…To…I just wanted to give…it's a treasure…it glitters so nicely…"  
  
Tonar sighed. "Do you see what I have to put off with?"   
  
"I'm glad that I don't have any siblings." Donael grinned. Miriel flinched and a look of sadness crossed over her face.  
  
Elrohir suddenly felt pity for the small elfling. Although he understood Tonar's annoyance, he didn't think it was right to treat her as Tonar just had. She seemed to adore her brother, but he treated her as if she were a burden.   
  
"I think it's a beautiful stone." He said and smiled at Miriel. The girl immediately brightened, although tears still glistened in her eyes.  
  
Donael looked at him, then at Tonar and then back at Elrohir again. "Alright, I've had enough!" he announced determinedly. "I *will* climb the Big Tree, no matter what! Are you coming with me?"  
  
"But…how are you going to get there? Guards are posted along the path, surely we'll be caught!" Tonar answered doubtfully.  
  
"That won't be a problem. The guards have their competition today, don't you remember? They will be so busy duelling and will not notice us at all. We can pass unhindered and climb in peace. We will be back before anyone notices!"  
  
"You're right!" Tonar brightened. „That's splendid! I've always wanted to climb to the top. You will come, too, won't you Elrohir?"  
  
"Uhm…" caught off guard, the named elfling hesitated. "I don't know…if…is it really dangerous?"  
  
Donael waved impatiently. "We already told you, it is not dangerous. We are good climbers, it won't be a problem. And I bet the view from the top is worth it!"  
  
"Well…" Elrohir still felt uncomfortable. It reminded him too much of the many miserable situations he and Elladan had often found themselves in after having exactly the same argument. And it was always Elladan who insisted that it wasn't dangerous, no, not at all…and in the end, Ada or Glorfindel had to rescue them.  
  
The decision was taken from him, however, as Tonar clapped him on the shoulder. "Elrohir will certainly accompany us, after all, he's a tough elf from Imladris – aren't you?"  
  


_…"You will always be a bookworm, never a fighter!  
_

_"You are dull and boring – nobody wants a boring child!"  
_

_"I bet father likes me better because I will be a warrior like him!"…_  
  


The painful insults Elladan had carelessly thrown at him came to his mind and he narrowed his eyes. "Of course I'll come!" He said firmly and grinned at the others, although deep down he knew what he was doing was absolutely wrong.  
  
"Wonderful!" Donael jumped up. "Then let's go! I don't want to wait any longer."  
  
"Sure!" Tonar and Elrohir followed his example and the three raced away, forgetting Miriel who still stood beside them, her treasure still clasped tightly in her hand as she watched them leave. Then the small girl sniffed and started to follow the elflings. Not knowing what else to do, the little girl did what she always did – she followed the brother she adored despite his treatment of her.  


* * *

  


It was not much later when three little elflings were eagerly climbing the gigantic tree somewhere in the woods of Lothlorien. It was truly a tree of great strength, for it reached far above the branches of the other trees, its trunk so thick that one needed several elves to close their arms around its base. The leaves were thick and green, casting a dark shadow on the ground and shielding the elflings from the sun.   
  
It didn't take them long to climb up to the middle of the tree, and when Elrohir looked down, he was immediately reminded of the rooftops of Imladris. At home they had often climbed up on the roof, despite Glorfindel's and Ada's strict orders not to. The view of Rivendell from the rooftop was truly astounding and Elladan and he had enjoyed the feeling of freedom.  
  
He felt the same feeling here in this tree, and a wave of excitement washed through him when he looked at the ground, which seemed so incredibly far away.   
"It's great!" Elrohir whispered and climbed on to another branch. From here, he could see clearly the sun and the path on the ground. Wind rustled through his hair and the leaves moved slightly. It was a picture of perfect calm and peace…  
  
"LOOK WHAT I AM DOING!" The serenity of the moment was destroyed by a sudden shout from Donael, he was hanging – upside down – from a big, sturdy branch not far away from Elrohir. His legs were firmly linked around the wood, but the rest of his body was dangling dangerously in the air, only nothingness beneath him.  
  
"What are you doing?" Elrohir exclaimed, an expression of shock and amazement on his face.  
  
"It's fun! You have to try it, too! Everything looks weird!" As if to prove his point, the elfling waved with his hands.  
  
Tonar, who was a few feet above them, shook his head and giggled. "You are crazy, Donael. That's dangerous!"  
  
"Yes!" Elrohir nodded firmly. "If you fall down, you will certainly hurt yourself!"  
  
"Aww, come on, now you sound like my Ada." Donael waved it off. "I'm a master climber, nothing will happen."  
  
"If you say so…" Elrohir was not really convinced. The whole situation reminded him of Elladan and his antics. And really, Donael was very much like his older twin; always ready for an adventure and never thinking of the consequences. Oh, his brother's attitude often got them in a lot of trouble, and many painful accidents. Unfortunately he often participated in Elladan's antics – more or less willingly - and the result was not one, but two injured elflings and one very annoyed Lord Elrond.  
  
_'Maybe Elladan would be happier if Donael were his twin…'_ Elrohir thought gloomily as he watched the other two elflings. '_He wouldn't get annoyed by him'._  
  
Then another thought entered his mind. '_Would he want that? Would he prefer Donael over me?'_ Pondering this for a while, the elfling leaned against the trunk. '_Would I prefer any other person as my twin brother? I said that I didn't want him anymore, because…because he annoys me, but…somehow I can't imagine being without him.'_  
  
Alas, his stubbornness – a trait he had inherited from both his father and mother – came back, driving every thought of Elladan from his mind.   
  
"Well, come on!" he said impatiently to the two other elflings, "We have yet to reach the top!"  
  
"All right, all right." Donael agreed and Tonar followed him.  
  
It was actually only by accident that Elrohir looked down and saw her. Normally, he looked straight ahead while climbing, to look elsewhere was too distracting and far too dangerous when climbing. But this time he watched a small, red butterfly flutter past him, and he followed the small insect with his eyes. So it was – how ironic – the butterfly's fault that Elrohir looked down and discovered Miriel.  
  
At first, he couldn't believe his eyes, but when he looked closer, he realised that the small figure desperately trying to follow them was indeed Tonar's sister.   


"Tonar!! he immediately whispered and motioned the other elfling to join him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look down! Can you see what I see?"  
  
Tonar narrowed his eyes and studied the lower branches of the tree. "Well, I don't know what you mean, there's nothing bes…by the Valar!" He discovered Miriel and his eyes grew as large as saucers. "What is she doing there??"  
  
Elrohir looked at him, and then at the girl. "Following you."  
  
"Oh noooo!" A sullen voice behind them groaned. "Does she have to follow you everywhere, Tonar?" It was Donael, who – curious as usual – joined the other two.  
  
"I don't know why she follows me!" Tonar defended himself. "I told her to stay away from us, didn't I?"  
  
"There's no point in arguing about that right now." Elrohir urged. "We have to go down and help her; it is far too dangerous for such a small elfling. She might slip and fall."  
  
Tonar's eyes blazed. "I would like to enjoy one day without my annoying sister following me!" He exclaimed hotly and glared down. "Now our trip is ruined because of her!"  
And before the others could stop him, he leaned forward and shouted down to Miriel. "Hey sister! What do you think you are doing?"  
  
Startled, the girl looked up and an expression of nervousness crossed her face when she saw her brother with a definite look of fury in his eyes. "I…" she stammered, but she couldn't manage to get out a coherent reply.  
  
Tonar rolled his eyes. "I don't believe it! Didn't we tell you to stay back? It is dangerous for you! You are way too small to climb this tree!"  
  
Tears welled up in Miriel's eyes, and Elrohir felt pity for her. He understood why she was doing it, she admired her brother greatly and wanted to impress him by doing the same things he did. Unfortunately, it had an adverse effect.  
  
Sniffling softly, Miriel turned around and began to climb down - and that was when it happened. The three above her could only watch in horror as her foot slipped and she fell backwards, her small hands trying to grab something, anything, but they found only empty air. Her eyes widened, as she realised what was happening, and a high-pitched scream escaped her lips.  
  
"MIRIEL!" Tonar shouted, his anger quickly forgotten and he wanted to lunge forward, only the quick hands of Elrohir and Donael held him back in time.  
  
With a soft, nearly inaudible thump, she landed on the ground and silence sank over them. Elrohir stared at the motionless elfling on the grass beneath him and tried to comprehend what had happened. She had slipped, and then everything moved so fast, and now…now lay on the ground, unmoving and so still, her face a pale contrast to the thick, green grass…   
  
"Oh no…" Tonar's face turned ashen and he quickly scrambled down the tree, anxious to reach his sister. Donael and Elrohir followed just as quickly, both feeling the weight of guilt on their shoulders, for it had been partially their fault Miriel fell.  
  
Miriel looked small and fragile as she lay on the grass with her eyes closed. Elrohir immediately felt a surge of alarm course through him, only rarely had he ever seen elves with their eyes closed, and those elves had been seriously ill or near death. Even Elladan's eyes had been closed once, and that had been when he fell from the roof and was unconscious for the entire day.  
  
"What is wrong with her?" he asked softly.  
  
Tonar looked at him with tears in his eyes. "I don't know. I really don't know!"  
  
Donael looked at Miriel, then at Elrohir and then back at Miriel again. "I'm going for help." he whispered and then ran away, as fast as his little legs could carry him.  
  
Tonar dropped to his knees. beside his sister "Miriel, can you hear me? Miriel…Miriel? Please say something…Miriel, are you all right? Sister…"   
  
Elrohir silently watched Tonar fret over his sister and wondered what he would do if it was his brother who lay here instead. Suddenly, he didn't feel so sure of himself anymore.  
  


* * *

  


"You are thinking, little one?" Celebrian whispered softly, while brushing her son's hair. It was evening in Lothlorien and both mother and son were sitting in her room, enjoying the quiet before it was time for Elrohir to go to bed.   


The afternoon had been filled with much activity; the young she-elf had been brought to the healing wing and the three boys had received a rather lengthy lecture about behaving and following rules.   
  
Luckily, the little girl would be fine. She only had a few broken bones and a light concussion, wounds that would mend quickly. Still, the shock had been great and when Celebrian found out Elrohir had tried to climb the big tree, she immediately rushed to the healing wing, expecting the worst.  
  
Thankfully, this time it was not one of her sons who had been hurt (a rather pleasant surprise for a change, and a grateful relief), but little Miriel, an elfling Celebrian had rarely seen more than but a few times. She only knew that she was the sister of one of Elrohir's new made friends. Although Celebrian felt immense relief her son was safe, she felt terrible for the little she-elf's family. She certainly understood what they were going through, for she had been through the same thing many times herself. It just came naturally with two sons at this age.  
  
"I'm thinking of Miriel." Elrohir spoke softly, voicing her thoughts. "Do you think she will be all right?"  
  
"Yes, she will be just fine." Celebrian absently stroked her son's hair. "The healers said that she has a light concussion, but elves heal fast, and little elflings even faster."  
  
"We didn't know she was following us. We told her to stay behind!"  
  
Celebrian paused for a while. "And yet she didn't listen to you, like you didn't listen to your elders."  
  
Elrohir pouted. "That was different! There was no reason for her to follow us – Tonar barely plays with her and Donael acts as if she isn't there!"  
  
"Maybe there was another reason she kept following you."  
  
The younger twin looked at his mother who was smiling softly. "Maybe…maybe she wanted to be with her brother." He said slowly. "She seems to admire him a lot."  
  
"I think so, too." Celebrian agreed. "I'm sure that in her eyes, Tonar is a wonderful person and she only wants to be near him. However, his harsh words hurt her, and in order to impress him, she followed you three up the tree."  
  
"That's silly." Elrohir exclaimed and crossed his arms.  
  
"Oh, really?" Celebrian chuckled softly. "Well, my little one, I remember very clearly a stubborn elfling who insisted on following his twin everywhere, no matter how dangerous the situation was. It has always been so with you and Elladan, and I believe it still is to a certain degree."  
  
"I…" Elrohir opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. His mother was right, there had indeed been a few times when he had been unable to leave his brother alone, but that was long ago and forgotten…or was it?  
  
"Siblings are often like that," Celebrian continued. "They fight over the simplest things, they act as if they don't care about each other, but when one of them takes hurt, they are deeply worried until everything is all right again. Imagine Elrohir, what would you have done if it had been Elladan who had fallen? How would you have felt?"  
  
Elrohir looked at her with big, sad eyes. "I already thought about that." He admitted, and then gulped. "And I think I would have been…afraid. Afraid that something really bad might have happened to him. That he might have been hurt really bad, or…I don't know. But I would be afraid."  
  
"And would you worry?"  
  
"Yes, I would worry."  
  
Celebrian smiled softly and placed a kiss on her son's forehead. "It is good that you are so honest with me, little one. Do you still dislike your brother, then?"  
  
"I don't know…" Elrohir was confused. "He can be so annoying at times…but I wouldn't want to lose him!"  
  
"I'm relieved to hear that." Celebrian hugged her son. "Because we will return home soon and I don#t want you to scream at Elladan as soon as we get there."  
  
The younger twin looked up, surprised. "We are going back?"  
  
"Yes." Celebrian nodded. "We will leave in a few days, so make sure to say good-bye to all of your friends."  
  
"Oh." Elrohir didn't know what to think. One side of him was happy to return home, but the other one felt quite anxious about facing Elladan again. What should he say to his brother? Elladan had to apologize, that was sure, but what would he do if his twin was too stubborn to do so?   
  
And he would have to leave his friends. The thought saddened him a bit - he had come to like Tonar, although he found Donael a bit annoying. Well, maybe he could invite them to Imladris next summer, that would be fun.  
  
He lay in his mother's arms until it was time to go to bed, unable to stop thinking about what would happen when he returned home. The sun slowly sank from the sky and night fell over Lothlorien, leaving the two elves in darkness broken only by the silent flickering of a small candle.

**To be continued...**

* * *

I now realized that I used the wrong phrase - it should be nin ion and not nin mellon, and I thank Lydia and San for pointing out my mistake - I kind of got confused with my other story and didn't notice it until later. *shakes head*

**Iawen Londea **- Well, my pondering finally came to a result, although I am not quite satisfied with it. I'm afraid that I have used a little bit too many own characters...*sighs* Anyway, I find it amusing that Elrohir proves to be the more independant one of the two. I hadn't expected that^^

**Starlight Wolf **- I haven't come around to read your story yet, but as a matter of fact, I don't like Mary Sues at all. I have looked at the first few lines and then decided not to read it - I mean, mortal girl comes to Middle Earth, is - oh wonder - a hero and has been a lover of Thranduil who - like everybody knows who has read the books - hates humans...sorry. I don't like that stuff.

**Faila Gamgee **- Well, the end of the story is soon in sight, only a few more chapters. I hope. I don't really have a plan, though^^"

I'm sorry that I haven't answered to everyone, but I am pretty much in stress right now. If you feel insulted, write it in a review and I will try to answer you the next time...

  



	10. Thoughtful Silence

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.  
  
  
**Genre: **General/Drama  
  
  
**Rating:** PG  
  
  
**E-mail: **kaeera@yahoo.de  
  
  
**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other? 

Long time, no update...my A-levels will start on 19th April. Gah, so much to learn! I don't want to... So if there aren't any more updates in the next weeks, it's due to my A-levels and the fact that I sit at home and study chemistry, math, history, German, and English. *sighs*

(FF.net is screwing with my formatting. Grrr. I hate it...and Front Page sucks, I want my hold Macromedia Dreamwaver back *sobs*)

  


* * *

**A Life Shared by Two**

_by Kaeera_

** Part Ten: Thoughtful Silence**

It seemed to be a perfect day. The sun shone through the windows, it was warm and the birds were singing. The laughter of elflings enjoying the sunlight echoed throughout the garden. Even the elder elves had smiles on their faces, for the weather was indeed beautiful.

However, there was one elfling in Imladris who wasn't happy. Elladan frowned at the pleasant weather and at everyone who attempted to smile at him. Said elfling was lying in his room, a thick bandage wrapped around one leg, scowling at every living presence that dared to approach him.

He was bored. And it was not the usual boredom, the 'Well-I-don't-know-what-to-do-but-I'll-think-of-something' kind of boredom. No, this was the kind of boredom that threatened to drive him mad, the worst kind he could think of! He wasn't even allowed to move, his leg hurt when he did, and although Ada and Glorfindel spent as much time with him as possible, there were still hours when he was alone in his room. If he were Elrohir, he would have just read a book and enjoyed the quiet, but Elladan was not very fond of books. For that matter, he wasn't too fond of sitting still nor the quiet either.

"Booooring…" he murmured and traced imaginary circles on the bed covers. It seemed even worse without Elrohir. Usually, when one of them was hurt, the other would sit and play games or tell stories or with the one who was hurt. But this time, Elrohir was not here, and although his other friends visited him, they could not replace his younger twin.

He'd been told that Elrohir would return soon, but until then, all he could do was wait, and patience had never been a virtue of the sons of Elrond.

Sighing, he looked at the book lying on the small table beside his bed. It was book of ancient stories, the Great Wars and many honourable Elven warriors. It even told about other races, and Elladan was curious to meet men one day. He didn't like dwarves, though.

Alas, he was not in the mood to read right now, for he had been doing nothing else the entire morning. 

Carefully, he shifted his leg. It still hurt a bit, but not as much as it had the first day. Maybe he could try to get up and walk to the window. Looking out of it would certainly be an improvement to his current situation. From his bed, he could only see the sky and the topmost branches of a tree, but nothing more.

"All right." Elladan climbed out of the bed, carefully avoiding jostling his broken leg in any way. Although he was very cautious, he couldn't help but flinch as hot pain shot up his whole leg, burning like fire. With the help of the wall, he was able to make his way to the window. Fortunately there was a chair right beside it, so he was able to sit down. 

Elladan leaned back and sighed, exhausted. The distance from the bed to window hadn't been far, merely a few feet, but it exhausted him nonetheless. He really hated this situation!

"Bah!" the elfling exclaimed angrily. "That's no good."

Then he looked out of the window, curious what he would see. The view was a familiar one; he could see the gardens, several paths and a large part of the main building. It was a beautiful day and many elves were walking around, talking, laughing and simply enjoying the sunshine.

Elladan propped his head on his arms and watched them with a twinge of jealousy. Oh, how he wished he could be outside with them, walking and running!

His eyes followed a beautiful young elf maiden followed closely by a warrior Elladan admired; the tall elf had often helped him with his sword exercises. Elladan kept an eye on them and saw the warrior pluck a few flowers from the ground and hand them to the maiden with a silly grin on his face. 

The elfling frowned. Why would anyone give out flowers? And to a girl, of all people!

She seemed to like it however, and he saw her laugh softly, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. The warrior blushed and stammered something Elladan couldn't understand, but the she-elf only laughed more, tilting her head slightly.

Elladan was taken aback. He had always admired the warrior for his skill with the sword and hehad hoped to one day, grow up just like him. And now this same warrior was behaving like a…a…stuttering elfling - because of a girl! He just didn't understand.

Still, he couldn't pry his eyes away from the couple. They were talking happily, and their cheeks were tinged with red. The warrior took the maiden's hand and kissed it gently. She blushed even more and smiled, while Elladan pulled grimaced in disgust. Kiss the hand of a she-elf?? The thought was too revolting, and he shook his head. "Eeeeww…"

And then they did the worst thing yet – they held hands, with the effect that Elladan's admiration for the warrior dropped another notch. "I'd rather have Elrohir back - *he* would never do that with a she-elf. Ugh!""

"Who would never do what with a she-elf?" A voice suddenly rang out throughout the room and Elladan jumped in surprise.

He turned around to scowl at the intruder, but his frown quickly turned into a smile when he recognized his favourite mentor. "Glorfindel!" He exclaimed happily. "I was just talking to myself."

"I noticed that." the blonde warrior smiled in amusement and stepped close to the window. He looked outside and instantly recognized the two elves kissing passionately. "Ah, it seems as if young Mirtenbras has found a love interest – isn't he lucky."

Elladan snorted thoroughly disgusted. "I wouldn't call him lucky – look at him, he behaves like a dim-witted fool! He is supposed to be a warrior, and he walks around holding hands with…with maidens!!"

Glorfindel had to suppress a chuckle at the horrified indignation in the younger one's voice. "Judging from what you say, it seems you have yet to appreciate girls, Elladan."

"No, I don't." Elladan crossed his arms and scowled. "They are weak and they don't care about important stuff, just about flowers and dolls and stuff like that. And they always squeal and giggle and you can't play any real games with them because they always start crying!"

"My, my," Glorfindel muttered and shook his head. "I think your opinion of them will change when you grow a bit older.

"

Elladan shook his head fiercely and pointed at Mirtenbras. "I will never, ever act like him, even when I am older!"

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow at the remark. "I will remember that when you have your first crush. And then I will quote this very statement to you, you will see. We'll see if your opinion will change then."

Elladan continued to shake his head. "I will never like she-elves." He stated it with a tone of finality, and Glorfindel chose wisely not to say anything further.

* * *

The day didn't get any better for Elladan, however. Glorfindel stayed with him a while longer before he had to leave again, doing some mysterious business he wouldn't tell the young elfling. Elladan strongly suspected that the blonde elf was behaving like that on purpose, only to annoy him. 

Even his father's visit later that day didn't cheer him up for he was far too bored, and even worse, he thought too much when he was alone in his room. Elrond would probably think that was a positive development, but Elladan certainly did not. He was not a thinker or philosopher and he often acted on impulse instead of thinking things through first. He'd often gained many problems as a result, but it was better than worrying over what to do. 

Right now, however, there was nothing he could do, and his thoughts always centered around the same problem, Elrohir.

Over and over again, he remembered that fateful fight, he had been so angry with his twin he hadn't been able to stop himself from saying those nasty things. But what shocked him even more was the fact that his brother had said horrible things to him as well! Elladan knew Elrohir as a gentle, patient person, and to actually see his twin that angry had triggered conflicting emotions in him.

He felt guilty.

Of course, he had felt guilty before like the time he had destroyed his mother's favourite vase (it had been an accident, of course) or when he had accidentally broken a friend's toy. But now, he felt guilty because he seemed to have hurt Elrohir.

Why had they fought after all? Elladan couldn't even remember, but what he did remember was the scene that played quite vividly in his head. The words he had shouted echoed in his ears and he closed his eyes as the memory came to the surface…

_"I bet father likes me better, because I will be a warrior like him!" Elladan shouted angrily._

_Elrohir hesitated for a moment as he considered those words, pain shimmering in his eyes. Then the pain was replaced by wild fury which one saw rarely in the eyes of the normally so sensible child. "Don't say things like that!" he cried and attacked his brother once more. "Ada likes me more than you! You only cause him problems!"_

_"But you are dull and boring!" Elladan replied, dodging a blow. "Nobody likes such a dreary elfling!"_

_Tears burned in Elrohir's eyes as he refused to believe the words, and his anger increased. "I'm NOT!" and he smacked his brother square in the face._

_Elladan fell from the force of the blow and gasped in surprise. Elrohir usually never got that angry; he must have said something really bad! Pain radiated from his nose, and when he touched it, his hand came back blood-covered. _

And that had been when he snapped, when he became so angry that he spat nasty things at his twin, his only brother. Elladan regretted it now – he knew how much he had hurt his brother. But still, Elrohir had hurt him first, and the stubborn part of his mind insisted that his twin should apologize first. Of course, he would accept his apology, but Elrohir had to make the first step…

But he wanted his brother back so badly! He missed him, and everything was so lonely without Elrohir! What if Elrohir wouldn't apologize? He had seemed pretty stubborn about it, and Elladan knew his twin well – he wouldn't give in easily.

Then he remembered what his Ada had said, clearly recalling the sad undertone in Elrond's voice as he spoke with him about his twin.

_"I don't appreciate your behaviour, Elladan. And I don't appreciate Elrohir's behaviour either. You both are acting in a manner unbefitting elven lords, I thought you knew better. You have the rare gift of having a twin to share your life with, to always be by your side. Don't throw that away. Don't destroy your unique bond by stubbornness."_

"I know I'm being stubborn Ada." Elladan whispered. "It doesn't matter who apologizes. I just want Elrohir to come back."

Wistfully, he looked out the window. Suddenly he realized no one could ever take his brother's place. Elrohir and Elladan, elven twins. They looked alike, and they understood each other like no one else could. And yet they were different too, they had different personalities and interests. 

Elladan had always been the outgoing one, the extrovert, loud and stubborn, impatient and quick tempered, while Elrohir had been more quiet and shy, an introvert elfling, thoughtful and patient, gentle and caring.

The older twin knew his brother well, but there were times when he simply didn't understand Elrohir at all. 

"What Glorfindel said was indeed true," he murmured, remembering a previous conversation with the blonde warrior, "We are really two different persons."

He stayed silent for a while, watching the scenery outside lost in thought. A soft breeze moved the branches of a nearby tree, and he watched the leaves swaying in the breeze, as if they were dancing to some soft music. 

Elladan sighed deeply, scowling at the cast on his leg and then at the empty room behind him. "If Elrohir returns…when he returns…then I want to be friends with him again. I want my 'Ro to be back." Tears brimmed in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. "I want Elrohir back. I want my brother back!" 

**To be continued....**

* * *

**elvendancer** - Thanks a lot for your encouragment. I know myself how annoying it is to wait for an author to update, so I'm relieved when people tell me that they can wait. I really try my best!

**Iawen Londea** - I doubt that this story will be any longer. Like 'When the Snow Falls', it's nearing its end. Although Elrohir is still being stubborn - Elladan has seen the truth by now, and he has accepted it, but little 'Ro seems to have inherited his father's stubborness...

**Sunsong** - Thanks a lot for your comment. About the Thranduil thing: I was quite agitated when I wrote this, so I chose the wrong impression (happens quite often when I write in English, unfortunately). I don't think that he really hates them, but he isn't overly fond of them either. I have to delete this comment as soon as I have time...and next time I'll remember not to post a chapter when I am angry or annoyed about anything. *lol* My father is a twin, too, by the way, and so I have learned very early that yes, twins can be very, very different!

**Starlight Wolf** - *points above* Like I said, I already regret writing what I wrote back then. I was agitated, and then I tend to exagerratem, which is not very good. I don't really think that Thranduil hates human, but he doesn't like them either. I would describe it as a kind of indifference, or a superior feeling because they die and elves do not.

**Nikara** - The movie...I watched it, but I was kind of preoccupied during the movie, so I didn't get all the details. But I didn't get the impression that the twins appeared anywhere...

**iamtheanonymious** - I liked that scene, too! I can totally imagine Elladan hanging out there in a tree and trying to catch the lighting... it seems liek something he would do! 

**Vicki Turner** - I *am* updating; it just comes late. *sighs sheepishly* I'm sorry, but with my full timetable, I can't update faster. A-levels will start in April and I have to study maths! But don't worry, I don't plan to abandon this story - it just takes time!

**Lynn** - I'm glad that you like the stories. Hope you continue reading, although it takes that long to update...

**Tara** - Thanks a bunch for the nice review! The problem with the twins is that their personality aren't really described anywhere, or at least not very profoundly, so you can develop them yourself as a writer - which gives you great opportunities. I just like the idea of an extrovert Elladan and an introvert Elrohir^^ 


	11. Return

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.

**Genre:** General/Drama

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other?

**Notes:** Uhm...sorry for the delay? Well, I can't give you any good excuses for it... just the usual stress and the fact that I seem to have lost every ability to write. I read this chapter numerous times and I absolutely hate. It must be the worst chapter I've ever written!!! Ack...but it seems that I'm unable to produce anything better. Sorry for that. I don't know what has come over me...

_**Replaced with the betaed version on June 11th, 2004.**_

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**A Life Shared By Two**

_by Kaeera_

**Part Eleven: Return  
**   
  
Elrohir shifted impatiently on his horse. They weren't far away from Imladris for already, he recognized the landscape around him. Maybe a few more hours, and then he would be home.The elfling was unsure how he should feel; one part of him was incredibly happy to return, but the other part was a little reluctant after the fight with his twin. He still didn't want to give in and act as if everything was forgotten! It was probably his father's heritage, who had been known to be quite stubborn at times, too.  
  
Everything would be simpler if only Elladan would apologize! Then things could get back to normal. But Elrohir knew his twin, and saying he was sorry was something Elladan rarely did first.  
  
"You are brooding, my son." Celebrian stated. She was riding beside him and had been watching her soon for a little while now. "Why don't you just wait and relax until you meet your brother?"  
  
"Hmm." was Elrohir's not very informative reply. He found it very difficult to occupy his mind with something else and relaxing was out of the question, but he didn't want to worry his mother. He felt terrible enough for causing her worry all the time. He sighed. Why was life that difficult?  
  
"Amme?" he inquired in a tiny voice. "Do you think he will hate me?"  
  
Celebrian turned her head and smiled at him. "No, certainly not. He loves you more than anything in Arda – he just doesn't want to admit it."  
  
"But he can be so difficult!"  
  
"I know, but you can be difficult as well – and that makes you who you are. I'm sure that you two – when you're grown up – will be very strong warriors, feared among all your enemies. You will learn to rely on each other, and to live with the difference in your personalities."  
  
Elrohir's face took on a wistful look. "That would be great."  
  
Then a smile lit his features. "But when I'm a great warrior, I will always protect you. And if someone hurts you, Elladan and I will hunt them down and punish them."  
  
Celebrian chuckled and ruffled her son's hair. "That's nice to hear, Elrohir."  
  


-----------  


  
  
"Glorfy, Glorfy!" Elladan whined. "I'm bored!"  
  
The blonde elf sighed for the umpteenth time in the past hour and looked at Elladan. The young elfling had been allowed out of bed, but he had to use the crutches Elrond had made for him. At the moment, he was sitting on the ledge of the window, watching Glorfindel polish his weapons.   
  
That didn't seem to ease his boredom though, and Glorfindel was beginning to regret his decision to look after the elder twin for a few hours."You will have to wait until I have finished, little one." He told Elladan patiently and silently wondered how Elrond and Celebrian dealt with this bundle of energy every day.

"When will you finish?"

"When I'm done."

"When will you be done?"

Glorfindel rolled his eyes. "When my weapons are clean and shiny."

Elladan looked at the small pile of knives, swords, arrows and bows on the floor. "They seem pretty clean to me."

"They are not little one, and if a warriors weapons are not in good order, orcs and other foul creatures my get closer to you than they should." Glorfindel explained with more patience than he felt while he replaced the string on his hunting bow.

"Can't someone else clean them for you?"

The blonde elf looked at Elladan seriously. "If you ever want to become a warrior, Elladan, you must to learn this lesson well. Your weapons are the only thing you can rely on during a battle. They need to be in the best shape possible, and you the only way to ensure that, is to take care of them yourself. Being a warrior is not all fighting and shooting, you know."

A stubborn look crossed Elladan's face. "I'll still become a warrior, no matter what."

Glorfindel smiled. "I've never thought otherwise." Then he looked up, a curious look on his face. "Do you hear that? Horses approach, someone is coming!"

Elladan jumped up and grabbed his crutches before making his way out of the room. "That's 'Ro!" he shouted with delight.

Glorfindel simply shook his head and laid his bow on the table. "I'd better follow him." he sighed to himself. "Or he may very well break his other leg, too."

When he finally saw the elegant buildings of Imladris, Elrohir realized how much he had missed his home. His face lit up at the prospect of sleeping in his own bed again and for a moment, all his worries were forgotten. "We're finally home!" he squealed and he almost couldn't wait to be helped down from his horse.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he started running towards the main entrance, where Elrond was already walking down to greet them.

"Ada!" he shouted and jumped into his father's embrace, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Elrohir." Elrond admitted and whirled his son in the air. "It's wonderful to have you back."

Celebrian walked up the stairs, too, only a bit slower than her son. Elrond's smile widened. "And of course, it's wonderful to have you back, too!" And without further thought, he gave his wife a deep kiss.

Elrohir quickly looked away. As deeply as he loved his parents – he simply couldn't understand why they seemed kissed each other all the time. It was probably a grown up thing. The young twin was used to occasional kisses, but he doubted he would ever kiss a she-elf the same way his Ada kissed his Amme.

"Where's Elladan?" Celebrian asked, frowning that her eldest wasn't here yet. "He usually runs to greet me, like a whirlwind!"

Elrond let out a deep sigh. "Well, our eldest managed to injured himself yet again." He admitted. "He climbed a tree, fell down and broke his leg in the process."

Elrohir's ears perked up at the mention of his brother. Elladan hurt himself? But it wasn't bad, or was it? A broken leg? He remembered how much his arm hurt when he'd broken it falling down from the roof. He'd been unable to move the arm for weeks, and it had been terrible. How did Elladan always manage to hurt himself?

"Elladan is hurt? How bad? Tell me what happened!" The Lady of Imladris immediately adopted a worried-mother-mode. "Where is he?"

"He's with Glorfindel, let's go look for him right now…"

By this time, Elrohir had already stopped listening. His mind was replaying the conversation he'd had with Celeborn in Lothlorien.

_"People say many things, Elrohir, you have to understand that. And it's not always the truth. Nobody forces you to love your brother – and nobody forces you to hate him." Celeborn kneeled down on the ground and pointed to Elrohir's chest. "Your true feelings reside in there, don't worry about what others say. It's you who decides what to feel, and if you listen to your heart, you will know what is right and what is true."_

And if Elrohir listened to his heart right now, he was extremely worried and anxious, but not angry.

Where was Elladan? Why hadn't he come to greet them, if not him, then at least their Amme? Elrohir knew his brother all too well, and he knew that nothing could keep him from greeting their parents, unless he was really hurt.

"'Dan." he whispered weakly, and he ran off, startling his mother and father.

"Elrohir?" Celebrian called after him, but he didn't hear her, and Elrond stopped her from following him.

"Don't," said Elrond. "It's better they face each other without one of us present."

"Maybe." His wife bit her lip. "But…I'm worried."

"You shouldn't be. Elladan has learned his lesson, and he is already up and moving around – his leg will be healed soon. Besides, he's missed his brother dearly while you've been gone. He will be happy to see Elrohir."

Celebrian turned to look at him, a serious look on her face. "It is not Elladan who worries me,", she admitted, "but Elrohir.

Elrond didn't reply, he only raised an eyebrow in question.

"He didn't give in until the last second." The Lady of Imladris admitted. "My father and I, we both tried talking to him, but he was so stubborn! He refused to acknowledge how important Elladan really is to him. And I'm not sure what he's feeling. There was a time I really thought he had changed his mind, but I truly never expected Elrohir to be so stubborn."

"It will be fine," Elrond soothed. "They are both bright elflings, they'll figure it out for themselves. We just need to give them time, that's all."

---------------------

Elrohir ran through the corridors, startling every elf he encountered along the way. He couldn't help but feel worry for his brother, even though his head told him he should to be angry and not care. Maybe his conflicting emotions would become clearer when he saw his twin – after all, they hadn't seen each other for more weeks than he could remember. Had it been a month? Elrohir guessed.

The elfling slowed down. Nearly a month, that was a lot of days. He tried to remember a time when they had been separated before, but he couldn't. As far as he remembered, they'd never been separated for more than one or two days at the most.

Suddenly, he felt pain in his heart, and he thought of the things his grandfather had told him.

_"If you listen to your heart, you will know what is true."_Had he been listening to his heart? Elrohir had always been the more sensible one, but right now, he was confused. He should be angry, after all, it was all Elladan's fault this whole thing started in the first place. Instead, he only felt as if something was missing deep inside of him.

"What does it mean?" he whispered to himself as he turned around the corner, lost in thought. This wasn't a good idea. Since he hadn't been looking where he had been going, he suddenly collided with someone and landed painfully on his back.

"Ouch!" he growled and opened one eye to see who he'd bumped into. He stared in surprise at his mirror image, sitting across from him and rubbing his head in pain. Elrohir took it in all at once; the dark brown hair with the familiar braids in it, the grey, mischievous eyes and the round face which was so very like his own.  
Elladan.

Now that his brother sat before him, he didn't know what to say. All his anger had vanished, in fact, he only felt a vague numbness creep into his heart. What should he do?

What should he say? Should he leave? The younger twin nearly started panicking, but Elladan spared him from further confusion. In an instant, he had thrown his arms around his brother's neck, squealing in delight. "'Ro! You are back! I missed you so much!"

Elrohir was taken aback by this sudden display of affection. Hadn't Elladan been the one who was angry with him at first? So why was he so happy to see him? Normally, his elder twin never gave in until someone apologized to him first – and that someone was usually Elrohir. The elfling was confused by this turn of events, so he remained silent, not sure if this all was a dream.

"'Ro?" The concerned eyes of his twin appeared in front of him, and for the first time Elrohir noticed the bruise on his brother's face. His gaze wandered over Elladan's body, unable to stop himself from worrying even more, and he finally took in the tight cast around Elladan's leg.

"What happened?" Elrohir asked, his voice rough and shaky.

"Oh, you mean this?" Elladan knocked on the cast. "It's nothing. I went out during a rainstorm one night, and climbed a tree. But I slipped, and when I fell, I broke my leg."

"You went out in a rainstorm?" Elrohir asked incredulously. "Why?"

Elladan shrugged. "I don't know?" His face lit up. "It doesn't hurt too much anymore. Besides, it was sooo boring without you and I'm really glad you're back! How was your stay in Lothlorien? You have to tell me about it!"

"Wait, slow down a bit!" Elrohir pushed his brother away, angry at himself that he'd been taken by surprise. "How can you act as if nothing happened? Did you forget why we were separated? Did you forget what you said to me?!"

Elladan cringed at his brother's harsh words. "I thought…well…it has been a long time, and we were both angry and I'm just so glad to see you again…"

"Well, maybe you are, but I'm not!" Elrohir huffed and crossed his arms defiantly. "Do you know how much your words hurt me? Do you have any idea what I went through?"

"But 'Ro…"

"No! You always do things that you shouldn't drag me into them, and in the end, I have to suffer as well. And when I don't want to go along with you, you say I'm weak and that I'll never be a warrior!. It's always you!" Tears brimmed in Elrohir's eyes,as all the pain he'd suppressed came back to the surface. "I've had enough! I can't just forget it! This time, I won't come crawling back to you, do you understand? This time it you'll have to apologize first!"

Elladan's mouth dropped open in shock. "I didn't mean it like that…"

"You never mean it like that, but you say such things nonetheless! You should mind what you say more because you end up hurting people all the time!"

The elder twin didn't know what to do. Here He'd been so happy to reunite with his brother, but Elrohir didn't seem happy at all. Instead, he'd scolded him and was so furious! Elladan didn't understand his brother's feelings at all.

"Didn't you miss me?" He asked in a tiny voice, so very unlike his usual straight-forwardness.

Elrohir hesitated – that wasn't a question he'd been prepared for. "That's not the point right now," he hedged.

"It sure is!" Elladan insisted. "We are twins! We belong together! How could you not miss me?"

"Just because we are twins, doesn't mean I can't have fun without you!" Elrohir shot back, although he hadn't intended to say it so harshly.

Tears welled up in Elladan's eyes. "I'm sorry for what I did," he sobbed, "I never meant to hurt you. I really missed you while you were gone, and I couldn't wait for you to return. But I don't think you missed me at all, and worse yet, you don't even like me anymore!"

Elrohir's mouth fell wide open at his brother's tears. Elladan rarely cried, and when he did, it was usually due to an injury, not because of something Elrohir said. He must be terribly upset. The young elfling wanted to say something to console his twin, but Elladan had already turned around and was limping down the corridor as fast as he could.

"Elladan?"

"I don't want to see you anymore! You didn't even miss me, and I felt nothing but miseray - all the time!"

"I never said I didn't miss you!"

"Leave me in peace!" Elladan hollered and turned the corner, leaving Elrohir sitting alone on the cold floor wondering what had just happened.

The younger twin didn't know what to do or to think any more. He'd never before seen his twin so upset! And in all honesty, he'd never meant to hurt his brother either. Things had just gotten out of hand and his twin had misunderstood his words

Well, at least Elladan had apologized first.

But why didn't he feel any triumph about it?

**To be continued...**


	12. Tears of Sorrow and Joy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of the characters I used in this story. It was written for pure fun and no money is/was made with it.

**Genre:** General/Drama

**Rating: **PG

**E-mail:** kaeerayahoo.de

**Summary:** When the twins fight too much, Elrond and Celebrian decide to separate them for a few months…How will Elladan and Elrohir find life without each other?

**Notes:** The last chapter! Although there will be an epilogue. I already have an idea in my mind, I just need to write it down – and to find the time to do so. School's over, yes, but I'm working now, and it's difficult to write when you come home late in the evening every day!

Anyway, I wanted to end this story, I couldn't bring myself to torture the twins any longer. I hope the end doesn't come too rash or too mushy, I wouldn't like that. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and enjoy this chapter.

Thanks to Netty for doing such a wonderful job as my beta!

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**A Life Shared by Two**

_by Kaeera_

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_._

** Part Twelve: Tears of Sorrow and Joy**

Elladan limped through the hall, angrily wiping tears from his face. He couldn't believe what Elrohir had said to him. What had happened to his brother? Never before he had seen his quiet, sensitive twin behave like that. It was as if Elrohir had been replaced by another person, a stranger Elladan no longer knew.

He sat down with a frown and continued sobbing. This was not the reunion he had imagined. Since his accident, he had been desperate to see his brother again, and now everything was ruined because Elrohir acted so strangely. Why? He said he was sorry, and Elrohir knew that he often said things he didn't mean.

But – he realized with a guilty pang – this time the words had truly been hurtful. Oh, why couldn't he control his anger better? Ada had often criticized that part of his personality.

Elladan tended to anger easily even at the smallest of things, and not everyone was as understanding as his brother. Elrohir was the only one who was always ready to forgive him, because they were twins, because they belonged together, but now it seemed as if forgiveness was too much to ask for, even for a gentle elf like Elrohir.

Had he destroyed everything? Had one irresponsible action destroyed the bond that was keeping them together?

Elladan didn't want to believe it, he couldn't believe it. But Elrohir had looked so furious, so angry…

Dazed, he realized that he had never seen Elrohir truly angry before. He had even been afraid for a few moments, and that was not a good thing! Elladan shuddered, imagining how his friends would react if Elrohir showed them that face – they'd probably run away in fear!

"He is angry with me." Elladan whispered to himself. "Why is he still angry with me?"

The elfling replayed the fight they'd had in his head. Up until now, he had avoided doing so. What had he said? Something mean, that was sure…wait…why did they even fight?

Elladan frowned, he couldn't even remember the reason for their fight. Had they fought over something trivial and unimportant? How had it started?

He had called Elrohir a bookworm, that part he remembered…and he had been agitated because he had been scolded by Elrond for not doing his exercises as he should. Then Elrohir had responded with angry words of his own, and it had developed into a fight. Then Elladan lost his temper completely and said things he had come to regret deeply…

_ "I bet father likes me better because I will be a warrior just like him!"_

_ "You are dull and boring! Nobody likes such a boring child!"_

And then…Elrohir hit him. Just like that. His younger twin, who rescued insects and every small animal in need of aid, hit him right into the face. Oh, how well Elladan remembered the pain he felt as the blood dripped down his face. He had been more than shocked by his brother's outburst, and way too angry to react in any other way than he had.

The elfling shook his head sadly. "In the end, we fought because I called him a bookworm." Elladan buried his head in his hands. "This is so foolish! I don't want to lose 'Ro because of that. I don't want to lose my twin!" And then he started sobbing, miserably, unaware of the small figure looming around the corner.

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As soon as Elladan stormed away, Elrohir regretted his angry words. He hadn't meant to be so harsh; he'd just been so surprised and wasn't sure how he should react. His first impulse was to follow his brother, but he decided against it. Elladan surely would be angry with him, and he certainly had a right to be. He had behaved badly, hurt his brother, and there was no excuse for that.

"I'm lower than even orcs," he told the wall beside him.

Elrohir was more than surprised when the wall replied. "Oh, that is a bit too dramatic for my taste."

"Wha…" the elfling gasped and whirled around. Walls couldn't speak, he was sure about that.

"Who's there?"

"Oh, it's just me." Someone chuckled, and then a tall elf stepped out from the shadows.

"Glorfindel!" Elrohir crossed his arms and scowled. "You know it's not nice to eavesdrop."

"Yes, but I could not help it." The warrior smirked.

Elrohir blinked and shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Glorfindel's wry humor right now.

"Would you care to tell me why you think you are lower than orcs?" To be quite honest, Glorfindel already suspected the reason, but he wanted to hear it from Elrohir himself. He had been walking down the corridor when he heard the shouting, and he heard enough to get a clear picture of what had happened. Those two stubborn elflings…they were often prone to misunderstandings!

Elrohir gnawed on his lower lip. "I said something really foolish."

"Well, that happens to all of us from time to time."

"But it was really, really foolish!" Elrohir's voice held a note of desperation. "And now Elladan is crying and I've made everything worse and it is all my fault…and he apologized and I don't even feel happy about that!"

Glorfindel sighed and knelt down on the floor. "Elrohir," he said and cupped the elfling's chin in his hand, "We all make mistakes. And sometimes, those mistakes are so horrible that we think we can never make things right again. But Elladan loves you Elrohir, as much as you love him. I'm sure everything will be well as soon as you two stop being so stubborn."

Elrohir sniffed miserably. "I don't know why I said the things I did. I just wanted him to see why I was so hurt, but instead, I only hurt him!"

"Sometimes, when you are confused about things, you may say things you don't really mean." Glorfindel smiled gently. "Very often, words are spoken that were never meant to be heard."

The small elfling looked at the taller elf, his eyes huge and full of tears. "What am I supposed to do now?" he whispered, seeking words of wisdom from this elder elf.

"Well, you should first look for Elladan and then you must talk with him."

Elrohir didn't move while he contemplated this. Talk with Elladan? After the last time had been such a disaster? He was afraid to trust himself to say the right things – it was so easy to hurt each other, wasn't it better to say nothing at all? But then Elladan probably wouldn't stop thinking that he didn't care about him anymore…but…he did, he just wanted Elladan to change a little bit…

"Elrohir." Glorfindel's gentle voice pried him from his thoughts. "Do you hate Elladan?"

"NO!" Elrohir nearly shouted, so shocked was he by this question. "I could never hate my brother!"

"Then…he is important to you?"

"I…" Elrohir's voice trailed off. Was Elladan important to him? He was his twin, and he had never lived without Elladan by his side almost every waking moment of his life. He thought about all those weeks without his brother. They had been fun, sure, but somehow, he had missed the steady presence of his stubborn twin. He had missed Elladan's remarks, his outrageous antics…

"Yes. Yes, he is important to me. Very, very important."

Glorfindel nodded as if he had expected that answer all along. "Then you need to make sure that the bond between you remains. It must not be broken by foolish actions and petty words."

Elrohir's voice was so soft, Glorfindel could scarcely hear it. "And what if I hurt him again?"

"Then you apologize."

"But…what if he won't forgive me? What if…he has stopped liking me because he thinks that I don't like him anymore?"

Glorfindel rubbed his eyes tiredly. Why was it so hard to make this little elfling understand things were not as difficult as he thought they were. If he and Elladan would only talk, they would both realize how much they needed each other. Then that would be the end of this whole complicated mess. He shook his head, his patience was wearing thin.

Somehow, this whole thing reminded him of when Elrond had been hopelessly in love with Celebrian from the moment he met her. He had been just like his son was now. 'Do you think she will like me? What if she doesn't like me? What if she laughs at me?' He had nearly driven Glorfindel mad with his constant self-doubts. But he had smiled with joy when the two had finally gotten together.

"Elrohir!" He called, startling the little elfling. "Now, dry your tears and go find your brother. And by the Valar, little one, talk to him with your heart, not your head." he chided gently."

The elfling just stared at him with big, round eyes.

Glorfindel frowned. "That is an order. Would you disobey me?"

Elrohir's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. Then he turned around and ran away, anxiously looking for his twin everywhere.

Glorfindel stood up again and shook his head wearily. "Honestly, sometimes I think without my intervention, this whole place would fall apart!"

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Elrohir ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, but he soon stopped when he heard a familiar sound not too far away. Someone was crying. It had to be Elladan, Elrohir determined, and he followed the sound until he reached a deserted hallway. It was the same hallway he and Elladan often played in for it was rarely used. Here, the elflings could do as they pleased.

Worriedly, he peered around the corned and saw the huddled form of his twin sitting against the wall. Elrohir's heart arched when he realized how wretchedly Elladan was crying and how lost he seemed to be.

For a moment, he hesitated. Glorfindel's words were still clear in his head, but he found himself unable to speak. What should he say? After all, it was his fault that Elladan was crying.

However, he couldn't fix things if he remained in hiding. So the younger twin gathered all his courage and stepped into view. "'Dan?"

Elladan's head spun towards him. "'Ro?" With big, watery eyes he stared at his twin suspiciously. "What do you want?" he croaked. "I thought you didn't need me anymore."

Elrohir was too shocked to reply at first. It was actually the first time he had seen his brother crying like this, and it was…strange. "That's not true." he whispered.

Elladan just shook his head. "Stop it, I don't want to hear anymore…"

"I never meant it like that…"

"But you said it!"

They were on the verge of fighting again, Elrohir realized, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "Now, if you just would listen to me…"

Elladan's chin lifted defiantly and his lips pressed into a hard line. "I won't!"

That was the last straw – Elrohir's patience snapped. "NOW JUST LISTEN TO ME, BY THE VALAR!" He shouted, his eyes blazing with anger.

His twin stared at him, mouth agape. This was the first time he had heard his brother curse, and it was indeed a rare sight to see Elrohir so furious.

Elrohir took deep, calming breaths and tried to explain his confused and jumbled emotions. "I…don't hate you, 'Dan. You are my brother, my twin, and you are very important to me. Without you, I would feel as if a part of me is missing, as if I am no longer whole. But…sometimes you can be so annoying! Can't you understand that?" He looked at his brother with pleading eyes. "You get us into trouble so often and I always have to suffer the consequences too. If I don't participate in your pranks, you always call me weak and so many other names, I cannot remember them all. So many times, you've hurt me with your words, but you never even realized that you had! There were times when I wondered if you would be better off without me – I certainly got the impression you thought that way!"

"That's not true!" Elladan was shocked at the mere idea of being better off without his twin.

"But it seemed true to me!" Elrohir said sadly, and a tear trickled down his cheek. "I've always felt that you resented me because I like reading, and because I am not as brave and strong as you are. When you are angry, you always say things you regret later, but they hurt nonetheless. That's why I was glad to leave for a while. I wanted to be on my own! I don't hate you, but sometimes I just don't know how to feel anymore!" Elrohir threw his hands in the air, unable to continue.

"I've thought the same about you as well." Elladan replied softly.

"Don't look at me like that," he defended himself when Elrohir sent him a doubtful look. "There were times when I thought that you were better off without me!!"

Elrohir was shocked by this revelation. "What?"

"Yes." Elladan sighed. "You know, as you said, it's always me who gets us into trouble. I don't know why, but somehow, I always end up in the worst situations possible. When an idea comes into my head, I just act on it without thinking of what might happen. I'm not as smart as you, and I always feel bad because you are so much better at our lessons than I am. Why would you want to bother with dim-witted brother like me?"

"You are not dim-witted!"

Elladan waved the denial off. "You are far more intelligent than me and you know it. Ada is always happy when Erestor tells him how well you have done. I do not think Erestor can tell him that I do well, for I do not."

"I could say the same about you," Elrohir disagreed, "You are much better in sword-fighting than I am, and Ada is proud of you. But I do not think my frequent misses and mistakes give him cause for happiness."

"It's not only that. You are good at making friends, while I do not make friends easily. Everybody likes you!"

"But the elder elflings always pick on me, but they leave you in peace!"

They looked at each other with equal looks of confusion written on their faces. Then Elrohir blinked and sat down on the floor, pondering about this new revelation. "So it seems that the whole time…we were envious of each other?"

Elladan stared at his brother, realizing that this was true. His entire life, he had always admired Elrohir's ability to deal with people. Everybody liked the younger twin, while he was often reluctant to strangers. "Yes, we were."

Silence ensued between both of them, it seemed heavy at first, but then Elrohir started laughing. "That's quite…ironic, don't you think?"

"Why?" Elladan was bewildered.

"Because we both thought we despised and looked down on each other, but in reality, it was the other way around. We fought for nothing after all!"

At first, Elladan didn't understand what Elrohir meant, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it all became. He had been jealous of Elrohir, but the whole time, his twin had been jealous of him as well!

"That's just ridiculous." he muttered and shook his head. "And the whole time, neither of us knew…"

Elrohir laughed, relief shining clearly in his eyes. "Well, I guess it's time to start over again." he said, standing up and bowing formally. "My dear twin, I'm sorry for what I said and I'll try to keep my mouth shut next time. I promise I will never hit you again, given your promise never to call me a weakling!"

"Hm, I might consider that." Elladan started grinning from ear to ear. He stood up a bit shakily, balancing on his good leg. "My dear 'Ro, I'm sorry I caused you pain and I apologize sincerely for my harsh words. I don't think you are weak, and I want to keep you as my twin, because you are the best twin ever!"

He looked at his brother and there were tears shimmering in his eyes. "I'm glad that you're home."

"Me, too." Elrohir smiled, and then he threw himself at his brother to hug him fiercely.

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** End. **

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Well, just the epilogue left! .

** Tara** – Thank you for your encouraging review! Right now, I feel as if I can't write anymore. The words never come out like I want them to, and I often sit in front of the screen and only stare at it stupidly. Maybe it's the burn-out syndrome lol I've written too much fanfics, I need a vacation! Anyway, really thanks for your kind words – they made me feel better.

** tHe InSanE OnE** – Well, that was a confused review doesn't know what to think of it. It's nice to hear that you are still reading, though – I kind of missed your weird reviews, they were always funny!

** HissoriOokami** – Thank you for your offer to beta, but I already found another one. It was very kind of you, though – I'm flabbergasted at the idea of how many people want to help me if I ask! It's…nice. By the way…what kind of job do you have since you seem to have so much free time?

** Iawen Londea** – Uh…please don't smack me! I won't say anything else! vows Ah, yes, it must be difficult being an elfling, huh? Elrohir wants to act all grown-up, but he's just a child and no better than Elladan. But they finally realized the truth about themselves! hugs the twins No more fighting, boys! scolds

** Carcanet** – I can't really say why I portray them how I do it…I just imagined them like that, and pouf, Elladan is the rash one while Elrohir is more sensible. shakes head Crazy, huh? Anyway, I'm glad that you like it!

** Vicki Turner** – Nay…I'm not really good at nice and fluffy. Everytime I try to write something fluffy, it gets weird and horrible. shrugs I don't know how. I can't write romance either, although I would like to, just for fun. However, my few attempts went horribly wrong…

** trustingfriendship** – I often realized that children can be very rude without knowing it or wanting to. So I made Elladan and Elrohir the same. Maybe elves are different, I don't know – but human children are often selfish, and very honest. That makes them adorable and difficult to deal with! thinks back of her time as a counsellor in summer camp

** Felice** – Ehm, no. I don't have more time to write, in fact, I have even less. I never expected it to turn out like that. I mean, hello! school's over, graduation is over, and I? I work every day to earn money for my trip to Australia…Maybe I'm cursed. Yeah, I'm under the curse to-never-have-time-to-continue-writing-fanfics!!! shakes fist Whoever did that to me…

** Lutris** – Heya! Thanks for the offer to beta, but I already have found another one. Well, my mother tongue isn't English, either (where are you from, by the way? Just curious!), so we'd be like to blinds leading each other. chuckles Thanks anyway, and I'm glad that you like my story.

** elvendancer** – I don't think that writing itself costs guts; everybody can write. Maybe you need guts in order to post it on the internet (although I have to admit that I never was afraid to do it – I was looking for honest opinions, and if somebody doesn't like it, well, then he doesn't like it. Criticism is always welcome, because I want to improve). I basically just write down what I see in my head, that's all.

** Terri B** – Why, thank you! blushes furiously Uhm…that was really a nice review. Be proud of my work, huh? Well…we'll see…


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